Wetland creation efforts in Galveston Bay, Texas

The shoreline of the Galveston Bay estuary is eroding at an average annual rate of four feet. The Galveston Bay National Estuary Program has identified shoreline erosion and the subsequent loss of wetland vegetation as two of the four priority problems in Galveston Bay. Loss of wetland habitats and coastal erosion will continue unless low-cost effective measures are developed and implemented for shoreline erosion control and habitat enhancement. Established stands of smooth cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora Lois, provide an effective means of shoreline erosion protection.