SHORETEC® Articulated Concrete Mat Revetment Systems

Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
Aransas Bay, Texas

Shoreline Protection

The project site is located along a stretch of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway on the Texas gulf coast about 35 miles northeast of Corpus Christi in Aransas and Calhoun Counties. Utilizing over 1,700,000 sf of ACBs, the project provided erosion protection to 73,000 feet of shoreline along the GIWW and Aransas National Wildlife Refuge – wintering grounds for the rare and endangered Whooping Crane¹.

Prior to project completion, whooping crane habitat losses were occurring at a rate of about 2 acres per year as a result of vessel traffic in the GIWW and wind generated waves. While habitat loss adversely affects the Whooping Crane, still recovering from near extinction in the 1940's, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and its uninterrupted use, is also critical to the economy of the lower Texas coastal area.

The importance of all project considerations and its potential impacts to wildlife, habitat, and commerce, resulted in the formation of an innovative team of state and federal agencies. The interagency project coordination team was comprised of the Texas Department of Transportation, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, the US Coast Guard, the Texas Water Development Board, the Texas General Land Office, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Construction was constrained in many ways including: the entire project had to be completed within 3 years, construction could only occur between April 15 and October 15th - when no Whooping Cranes are in the area, funding constraints, and site constraints established by refuge personnel. The project was completed on time, within construction constraints, and under budget.

ACBs were utilized because of there flexibility to mold to the existing shoreline, provide the necessary erosion protection, and their ability to provide vegetation throughout the entire system - insuring compatibility with the Whooping Crane's need to feed at the water's edge.

Competing against a field of 59 projects, the Aransas NWR project received and honors award in the Chief of Engineers Design and Environmental Awards program, and the Galveston District employees involved also receive an honorable mention for Design Team of the Year².

1. http://www.gulfbase.org/project/view.php?pid=ansp
2. https://www.swg.usace.army.mil/items/Aransas/aransas.asp

Download the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge Case Study