This agreement provides funding under the infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA) (PL 117-58) to the coastal bend bays and estuaries program (cbbep)

Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 awarded $909,800 to Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program, Inc. on November 1, 2025, under the National Estuary Program (CFDA 66.456) to support Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act implementation across five projects in the Texas Coastal Bend estuary through October 31, 2029.

The funded work comprises boardwalk construction and roadway improvements at an Airport Kayak Launch Site in Aransas County to facilitate kayak launch, coastal birding, and fishing access; engineering services to develop a master plan for a 6-acre wetland park in Port Aransas, exploring public access, habitat enhancement, stormwater quantity reduction, and stormwater quality improvement; Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant accessibility enhancements at Nueces Delta Preserve, including trails, boardwalks, pier, and wildlife observation platforms; installation of up to five strategically located wildlife viewing blinds at Aransas Woods for safe viewing, photography, and nature study; and development and installation of unified programmatic signage at Aransas First properties to improve visitor experience and interpretive value.

The recipient, a Corpus Christi-based nonprofit, implements habitat restoration, water quality management, invasive species removal, and environmental education across the estuary. Work is performed in Texas under the National Estuary Program's ecosystem-based management approach to protect and restore water quality and estuarine resources of nationally significant estuaries, consistent with Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program's Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan and Strategic Plan.

Description

This agreement provides funding under the infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA) (PL 117-58) to the coastal bend bays and estuaries program (cbbep). The recipient will support implementation of the comprehensive conservation and management plan (ccmp) and strategic plan to improve water quality, protect the natural habitat and living resources, and support sustainable human uses. The projects proposed for funding via the bipartisan infrastructure law (BIL) will leverage existing efforts.activities:IIJA subrecipient projects: 1. Airport kayak launch site improvements, aransas county - the primary objective of the project is to construct a new boardwalk and make roadway improvements to facilitate access to the kayak launch site, coastal birding and access fishing opportunities. 2. Master plan for new wetland park, city of port aransas - the primary objective of the proposed project is to contract for engineering services to develop a master plan for a 6-acre tract of land in the city of port aransas. The master plan should explore adding public access, enhancing and creating habitat, reducing stormwater quantity and improving stormwater quality. 3. Nueces delta preserve infrastructure enhancements, phase II - the project objective is to ensure accessibility for all individuals to the educational programs offered at cbbep's nueces delta preserve by providing americans with disabilities act (ADA)-compliant trails, boardwalks, pier, and wildlife observation platforms. 4. Aransas woods wildlife viewing features, phase i - the primary objective of the proposed project is to install up to five (5) strategically-located wildlife viewing blinds that will allow for safe viewing, photography, and nature study. 5. Aransas first programmatic signage - the primary objective of the proposed project is to develop unified programmatic signage for aransas first properties to improve the visitor experience and interpretive strength and install signs at three (3) aransas first sites. 6. Protection of the gulf intracoastal waterway (giww) shoreline at the aransas national wildlife refuge (anwr), phase II - the project will protect degraded shoreline and improve resiliency to future sea level rise within the aransas national wildlife refuge through the installation of approximately 2.2 miles of nearshore rock breakwaters. The specific project objective includes completion of final engineering and design and bid document development for priority areas along the gulf coastal intracoastal waterway. 7. Protection and restoration of matagorda island west marsh, anwr, phase III - the overall project goal is restore the infrastructure needed to facilitate water management by united states fish and wildlife service (USFWS) on approximately 6,000 acres of estuarine wetlands in the west marsh area. The project objective is to repair and replace levees and water control structures on the matagorda island final location and upgrade culverts at two locations where the breach was previously repaired. 8. Newcomb bend marsh restoration, phase II - the overall project goal is to continue efforts to conserve and restore the shoreline, emergent marsh, and associated nearshore and upland habitat, and wildlife dependent upon this habitat at newcomb marsh in copano BAY. The specific project objective is to complete the sediment source assessment, preliminary design, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory permitting for restoration of the newcomb bend marsh area. 9. Flooding risk assessment for nests of imperiled shorebirds in south texas - the primary objective of the project is to: (1) assess the risk of flooding to nesting sites for snowy plover and wilson's plover identified by cbbep monitoring and (2) identify suitable nesting areas outside the cbbep monitoring sites that have low risk of nest flooding and recommend areas where management and conservation benefits would be highest. Project management: the FY 2026 IIJA an