Across the shallow waters of San Antonio Bay, behind the Gulf dunes of Matagorda Island, along the shoreline of Aransas National Wildlife Refuge stands Dagger Point, now a drastic bluff standing approximately 30 feet above the water’s surface in some areas. This shoreline is experiencing extreme impacts of erosion from wave energy traveling across San Antonio Bay, exacerbated by storm surges coming through in the late summer and early fall. As the lapping water continues to erode the bluff from below, the sand and soil topples into the bay without the support, bringing old growth oaks with it. Behind the sloughing shoreline, dense thickets of Red Bay Forest border the coastal prairies that stretch inland, featuring meandering deer trails, songbirds in the trees, and the seasonal Whooping Crane in the field.

To protect this vital coastal landscape, a breakwater structure will be built off the shoreline to slow wave energy before it contacts the shoreline. In stabilizing this shoreline, thousands of acres of valuable habitat and wildlife will be protected. Construction is set to begin on this project during October, 2025 and be wrapped up within 9 months, with no impact on visitors’ access to the Refuge during construction.