Contract AWARDED!
Finally - no date on construction but THIS HUGE!! Look for construction in February - great fishing by summer on the jetty! Sargent WINS - started this blog almost exactly 5 years ago in September 2020 to keep us informed on the project and we are finally getting close to the goal.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Galveston District (SWG), in collaboration with the Texas General Land Office (GLO), the Port of Bay City, and Matagorda County, have announced a contract award for the Mouth of the Colorado River Navigation Channel (MOCR) Maintenance and Sargent Beach Beneficial Use Placement project, December 19, 2025.
The contract—valued at $86,347,000—was awarded to Houston-based Orion Government Services, LLC, to perform maintenance dredging, construction of shoreline protection features, and beneficial use placement of dredged material near Sargent, Texas.
“Why Sargent, Texas?” asked SWG Beneficial Use Operations Manager Rhonda Gregg Hirsch. “This tiny community on the coast boasts one of the highest erosion rates on the entire Texas coast.”
The GLO completed the engineering design and permitting for structural solutions and beneficial use of dredged material for beach nourishment, complimenting a study the USACE initiated, Gregg Hirsh said. At the same time, SWG was planning a major maintenance dredging project at the Mouth of the Colorado River navigation channel and adjacent sediment basin that would provide beach quality sand for nearby beaches, she said.
“Working together, the USACE Galveston District and the Texas GLO Coastal Erosion Planning and Response Act program brought one of Texas’ largest shoreline protection and beneficial use infrastructure projects—to date—to construction,” said SWG Operations Manager for the Mouth of the Colorado River Seth Jones. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a significant impact to stabilize and improve a fragile and critical locale along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.”
The federally funded part of the contract—pertaining to USACE—involves dredging approximately 1,070,000 cubic yards of the Mouth of the Colorado River entrance and clearing sediment from the channel impoundment basin.
The GLO-funded part of the work involves construction of a 2,600-foot angled terminal groin at Mitchell’s Cut, five nearshore breakwaters, and placement of 1,070,000 cubic yards of dredged sand onto Sargent Beach. The placement of the dredged material onto the beach will begin at Mitchell’s Cut—on Sargent Beach—and stretch east for approximately 3.5 miles.
“As someone who grew up on the Texas Coast, ensuring these beautiful beaches are strong and resilient is one of my top priorities,” said GLO Commissioner Dawn Buckingham. “The long overdue beach nourishment project, with the additional building of breakwaters, will help stabilize this important stretch of shoreline. I look forward to continuing to work with Matagorda County, the Port and the USACE to revitalize Sargent Beach, giving Texans who call it home a place they can enjoy for generations.”
Sargent Beach experiences one of the highest erosion rate areas along the Gulf of America barrier islands. Studies conducted through the 1970s and 80s indicated that storm surge was threatening to breach the island, potentially impacting the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. In response, and according to mission requirements of the organization, USACE constructed an 8-mile revetment wall and dirt road between 1995 and 1998 to safeguard against such breaches.
About the Galveston District
The USACE Galveston District contributes to the well-being, economic success, and quality of life of local communities through its Beneficial Use of Dredged Material program. SWG dredges approximately 30 to 40 million cubic yards of material every year. If placed on one city block, the material would create a mountain 14,000 feet above sea level. While undertaking its mission of keeping America’s waterways navigable, the USACE is able to turn that into an added benefit for homeowners, tourists and businesses. The Galveston District employs environmentally and economically responsible ways to utilize dredged materials to benefit local communities and improve eroded coastlines through beach nourishment and beneficial use programs.
For more news and information, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GalvestonDistrict and Twitter/X at www.twitter.com/USACEgalveston.
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