Shell Reef Bayou Restoration Project:

Friends of Aransas & Matagorda NWR

The purpose of this project is to facilitate the replacement of failed culverts in Shell Reef Bayou. This project will restore hydrology to 600 acres of estuarine marsh. Matagorda Island NWR encompasses 56,668 acres in Calhoun County, Texas. Tidal marshes extend along the majority of the western edge of the refuge. These marshes provide habitat for hundreds of species of fish, crabs, shrimp, and birds including the endangered whooping crane.

Prior landowners constructed a system of levees between 1950-1970 around the perimeter of a large portion of the southwestern bayside marsh. In the past 10 years, significant efforts have been made to restore tidal circulation throughout the marsh system using a series of culverts and levee removal. Recently, culverts transporting water through the Shell Reef Bayou portion of the marsh failed; consequently, 600 acres of estuarine habitat is no longer tidally connected. The project will replace the failed culverts, restore tidal circulation, and enhance the productivity of the 600 acre marsh.

Partners: Friends of Aransas & Matagorda Island NWR, & the Texas Coastal Program