BARRIER ISLANDS

1
BARRIER ISLANDS

• TEXAS GULF COAST

2
AN ISLAND CHAIN CONSISTING OF

• PADRE ISLAND
• MUSTANG ISLAND
• ST. JOSEPHS ISLAND
• MATAGORA ISLAND
• GALVASTON ISLAND

3
GULF COAST BARRIER ISLAND CHAIN
TEXAS
ISLAND CHAIN 390 MILES GULF COAST 450
MILES
PADRE ISLAND
GULF OF MEXICO
4
ISLAND CHARCTERISTICS

• PADRE ISLAND Longest undeveloped barrier
  island (113 miles) in the the US. Major
  recreation area with average of 800,000 visitors
  yearly (mostly from regional area). More than
  60 of island consists of marshes, inland waters,
  tidal flats and seagrass bed.
• MUSTANG ISLAND - Smaller island consisting of
  five miles of open beach. Provides protection to
  city of Corpus Christi from high storm tides.
  
• ST. JOSEPHS ISLAND MATAGORA ISLAND Smaller
  islands not connected to mainland only
  accessible by boat. Nineteen species of
  endangered or threatened species found here.
  Island supports over over 300 species of
  migrating birds.
• GLAVESTION ISLAND Recreation area for Galveston
  city residents

5
TEXAS HAS CREATED FOUR BARRIER ISLAND STATE PARKS

• PADRE 133K ACRES
• MUSTANG 4K ACRES
• MATAGORDA 7.3K ACRES
• GALVESTON 2K ACRES

6
ISLAND STABILITY

• EROSION Studies indicate that over 200 acres of
  topsoil washes into the gulf each year. Corps of
  Engineers estimate that 60 of the shore is
  eroding, 33 is stable and 7 advancing.
• SEDIMENTATION Sedimentation bearing rivers
  empty into the gulf via deep channels cut during
  periods of lowered sea level. Many of these
  rivers have dams or other engineered projects the
  impede bringing sediment to the coast.

7
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

• SHIPPING Concentrated ocean shipping area.
  Thirteen major ports on Texas Gulf coast.
  Facilitated by the Gulf Intra-coastal Waterway.
  80 of cargo made up of oil and petrochemical
  products. Requires dredging and disposal large
  amount of silt every year.
• PETROCHEMICAL Gulf coast is center of states
  oil refining an petrochemical industry.
  Approximately 1000 oil spills, major and minor
  occur each year. Potential also for catastrophic
  blowout such as the occurred in 1979. Extraction
  occurs on barrier islands such as Padre where
  there is currently six oil and gas operations and
  seven pipelines within the park itself.
• OTHER Large amounts of wind and water borne
  refuse and trash accumulates on the islands and
  mainland