Galveston Bay is one of the most important commercial and recreational fisheries on the Gulf coast. It is also the site of the country’s second largest port, Houston . The Houston-Galveston navigation channels allow ships to reach the deep-water ports of Houston, Texas City, and Galveston . When dredging was proposed to deepen and widen 50 miles of navigation channels, it meant the work would take place in the most productive estuary on the Texas Coast —and would generate nearly 300 million cubic yards of dredged material. 

The project set off a firestorm of controversy among environmentalists, recreational users, and commercial fisheries. Issues included what to do with the dredged material, intrusion of salt water into the bay, overall water quality, impacts on oyster reefs and fisheries, and contaminants. The project was on the verge of litigation when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers established an Interagency Coordination Team (ICT) to help identify and mitigate environmental impacts, and to locate areas for potential ecosystem restoration.

Ports of Houston and Galveston, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service, Galveston Bay Estuary Program, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas General Land Office, Texas Water Development Board, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, U.S. Coast Guard, Texas Governor’s Office, Texas Historical Commission, Galveston-Texas City Pilots Association, Houston Pilots Association, Galveston Bay Foundation, Texas Waterway Operators Association, and others.  The above comprised the Interagency Coordination Team responsible for developing the project.

Using a collaborative process, the Interagency Coordination Team was able to meet both commercial and environmental needs. The project met commercial navigation needs by deepening and widening the existing ship channel to provide for safer navigation.  The project also created more than 4,000 acres of wetlands in Galveston Bay using dredged material, constructed a new island for birds and one for boaters, and refilled subsided areas.  It is touted as one of the nation’s most successful navigation projects. The ICT process utilized a transparent and stakeholder inclusive process that relied on science rather than agency agendas to arrive at a consensus.  As a result, the ICT process is used extensively by the Galveston District on other projects. In addition, it has built an ongoing level of trust among Federal and state agencies, making the relationship more productive going forward.