Land and water resources, historical changes, and dune criticality : Mustang and North Padre Islands, Texas

Barrier islands along the Texas Coastal Zone are part of a complex and dynamic system represented by many distinct yet interrelated environments affected by a variety of resources, natural processes, climatic conditions, and human activities. Because of the increasing realization that island resources are extremely important both as natural systems and as valuable recreational areas, the necessity of understanding their complexities and how man and his activities interact with them becomes more and more urgent. This report, which focuses on a 20-mile segment of barrier islands along the Texas coast, treats several aspects of the islands including land and water resources, active processes and natural hazards, historical changes in natural environments, historical changes in Gulf and bay shorelines, and the importance of fore-island dunes. A comprehensive understanding of these topics is important because essentially they govern the natural capability and limitations of barrier islands to support productive future development.