McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge Beach and Dune Project Completed

The Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Texas Trustee Implementation Group has completed restoration of more than 14 miles of beaches and dunes at McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). The McFaddin Beach and Dune Restoration project is located where erosion and storm surges have scoured beaches and dunes and introduced saltwater to adjacent freshwater wetlands within the Salt Bayou ecosystem, the largest contiguous estuarine marsh complex in Texas. The project partially restores damage to beaches and dunes caused by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

McFaddin NWR and surrounding areas provide important feeding and resting habitat for migrating and wintering populations of waterfowl, as well as other wildlife. From October to March, up to one hundred thousand ducks representing more than two dozen species might visit McFaddin. During the spring, large concentrations of migrating songbirds fly through the area, with peak migration occurring in April.  

The Refuge’s beaches and dunes were restored using sediments pumped from offshore borrow areas. These sediments were graded to fill gaps and breaches that were allowing saltwater to flow into and degrade sensitive tidal wetlands. The project also included planting more than 150,000 native dune plants. The plants will help stabilize the newly formed sand dunes, catch additional windblown sand, and restore the natural habitat functions of the sand dunes. The combined activities restored beaches and dunes to a height and depth that restores lost habitat and protects existing habitat from future degradation.  

The McFaddin project demonstrates how multiple funding partners can come together to provide benefits for communities and wildlife alike. Project partners included the Texas General Land Office (GLO), Coastal Erosion Prevention and Response Act program (CEPRA), Texas General Land Office Surface Damage Funds, the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA), Jefferson County, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act (RESTORE).

Now that construction is complete, the Trustees will monitor the project for the next five years to ensure plants are surviving and track whether sand movements affect the beach and dune footprint.