Matagorda Peninsula

About the Project

Pristine, undeveloped land is one of our most precious resources. Land of this type is even more precious and rare along the Texas Coast. Long the target of conservation, a stretch of Matagorda Peninsula was one such area of undeveloped land. Thanks to the work of TPWF and its partners, this important tract will be conserved forever.

The offshore barrier island on Matagorda Peninsula is a place of stunning, secluded beauty. It serves as a sea turtle nesting location and a nesting and foraging site for a variety of wading birds and shorebirds. The peninsula is also an important part of storm surge mitigation, protecting East Matagorda Bay and the mainland.

This vibrant Gulf of Mexico salt marsh bay ecosystem contains examples of a variety of important habitats, including sand beaches, mature sand dune systems, back-dune habitats, strand prairies, lagoons, and more. The conservation of these lands means the security of habitats for turtles, the piping plover, the endangered whooping crane, and many other migratory birds, waterfowl, and songbirds. This habitat also serves other ecological needs such as carbon and nutrient sequestration and water filtration.

TPWF provided matching funds and low-cost interim financing to acquire more than 6,700 acres of pristine barrier habitat along Matagorda Peninsula. The newly acquired acreage is permanently conserved as part of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Matagorda Peninsula Coastal Management Area.