Construction of an 100 hectare intertidal marsh was begun to demonstrate the beneficial uses method proposed for the Houston Ship Channel Modernization Project in Galveston Bay, Texas, USA. This project should provide a greater net environmental benefit than previous marsh creation efforts in Galveston Bay. Channel maintenance material was contained by a 2,072 meter long hydraulically placed levee. This allowed the development of a maximum amount of marsh with a minimum amount of open bay habitat loss. Physical and faunal surveys of existing natural marshes allowed the development of flexible bioengineering criteria