The national oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA) is providing ongoing funding through the national coastal zone management program to the state of texas to help administer the states…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded $11.518 million on a cooperative agreement to the Texas General Land Office on October 1, 2025, to administer the state's federally approved coastal management program under the Coastal Zone Management Administration Awards program (CFDA 11.419). The award funds coastal zone management administration addressing coastal nonpoint pollution, beneficial use of dredge material, and public access to coastal resources across Texas, with performance through March 31, 2027, and administrative oversight at Austin, Texas.

Funded activities include installation of state-of-the-art water level sensors to enhance a regional flood sensor network, increasing resolution and accuracy for National Weather Service and Texas Department of Transportation flood forecasting and alert systems. The award supports nutrient source assessment for Corpus Christi Bay to develop pollutant mitigation strategies reducing nitrogen inflow and improving tourism and recreation. Additional work encompasses development of a sediment budget for Texas and coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a regional general permit for beneficial use of dredge material, enabling restoration projects identified in the Texas Coastal Resilience Master Plan to access multiple material sources.

The Texas General Land Office leverages the federal investment alongside over $2.620 million in state, local, and private funds. Sub-recipients include the University of Texas at Austin (seagrass mapping, high school coastal monitoring, and Amos Rehabilitation support), the University of Houston System (dune change assessment on the upper-mid coast), Lamar University-Beaumont (southeastern Texas flood coordination study and regional flood sensor enhancement), Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (water quality monitoring and nutrient tracing to Corpus Christi Bay and Laguna Madre), and the Matagorda Bay Foundation (Matagorda Bay seagrass Phase II work).

The national oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA) is providing ongoing funding through the national coastal zone management program to the state of texas to help administer the states federally approved coastal management program. The national coastal zone management program, under the coastal zone management act, is an important voluntary federal-state partnership that protects, restores, and responsibly develops our nations coastal communities and resources by balancing economic development, coastal uses, and natural resource protection. Noaas investment of over $3,130,000 is leveraging over $2,620,000 in state, local, and private funds. These funds will support jobs and provide continued assistance to the texas coastal management program to address many important coastal issues in the state including coastal nonpoint pollution, beneficial use of dredge material, and public access to coastal resources. For example, one project will enhance a regional flood sensor network by installing state of the art water level sensors that will increase the resolution and accuracy of the national weather service and texas department of transportation flood forecasting and alert systems. Another project will study the sources of nutrients entering corpus christi BAY, with the goal of developing pollutant mitigation strategies to reduce nitrogen to the BAY and improving tourism and recreation in the BAY. The award also supports an effort to develop a sediment budget for the state of texas and work with the US army corps of engineers to develop a regional general permit for the beneficial use of dredge material. This will allow restoration projects identified in the texas coastal resilience master plan to have multiple sources of material for projects, ensuring that critical restoration needs are addressed along the coast.