BEACH MAKEOVER: People aren’t the only ones who get 
makeovers – beaches do, too. Ahead on Passport to Texas. 

This is Passport to Texas

People get makeovers to feel better about themselves. 
But when the beach at McFadden National Wildlife Refuge 
got a makeover recently, it was to bring in sand to restore 
dunes to protect its freshwater marsh ecosystem.  

12—The lack of a sand dune has allowed salt water to move up 
inside the marsh, here. And what we have now, with no dune, 
the water’s stacked and now it’s finding a way back out and 
eroding the bank here even more.
 
Refuge manager, Doug Head.

13—[02 ambience] McFadden Refuge is a 60,000 acre national 
wildlife refuge. Not only do we provide great hunting habitat, 
but we also provide sanctuaries for migratory birds that are 
moving south for the winter or coming back across the Gulf of 
Mexico for the springtime. [03 ambience]

Hurricane Rita in 2005 and Ike in 2008 wiped out 
McFadden’s sand dunes, leaving miles of fragile marsh 
habitat unprotected. Texas General Land office Project 
Manager, Kelly Brooks.

09—So, we have freshwater wetlands right on top of beach. So 
now anytime we have any kind of tidal surges, they create wash 
over events into the marshes.

The reconstructed dunes will serve to protect the marsh 
at McFadden National Wildlife Refuge from saltwater 
infiltration and degradation.  
 
The Sport Fish restoration program supports our series.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I'm Cecilia Nasti.






Total sound bite time:		                 0:44.0
Maximum Script time:		                 0:41.0                     Suggested show time: 85.0 = 1:25