A town that lost its beach

Hydroseeding in La Porte, TX

Erosion and sinking ground wiped out La Porte's famous beach. Holding soil in place is a local lesson.

On-site measuring and a written, itemized quote at no charge
Grading, silt fence and seeding handled by one crew
Seed mixes picked for your sun, shade and soil

Erosion Lessons from Sylvan Beach

Hydroseeding in La Porte is easy to explain to anyone who knows the story of Sylvan Beach. La Porte's Wikipedia page says the town's beach was a national attraction in the 1920s and 1930s. It began shrinking around 1928 from shipping wakes and from land subsidence caused by groundwater pumping, and by the late 20th century erosion had removed the beach completely. A restoration project from 2009 to 2013 had to bring in sand and dredge to rebuild it.

Bayfront yards

Homes near Galveston Bay deal with salt spray, wind and soil that dries out fast in summer and floods in storms. Bare patches on a bayfront lot rarely heal on their own. We loosen the surface, add topsoil where it has blown or washed away, and hydroseed with a mulch that sticks in wind. Where a yard drops toward the water, an erosion control blanket holds the slope until roots knit it together.

Low, sinking ground

The same subsidence that ate Sylvan Beach lowered parts of town. Low spots hold water after rain, and grass in standing water dies. Before seeding we check grade and, where we can, give water a path to the street or a ditch.

Armand Bayou and industrial districts

Western La Porte drains to Armand Bayou, whose watershed also covers Pasadena and Deer Park. The city also sits beside the Bayport and Battleground industrial districts and the Barbours Cut container terminal. Industrial and port-related sites keep a steady flow of commercial work: new pads, berms and ditch lines that need silt fence during construction and final seeding to close out.

Near the San Jacinto battleground

The Battle of San Jacinto was fought near La Porte in 1836, and the San Jacinto Monument stands in the unincorporated area nearby. Prairie and marsh around the battleground show what this land looked like before development: flat, grassy and wet.

La Porte services

Bayfront lawn seeding and repair
Slope and shoreline erosion control
Silt fence for commercial sites
Grading low spots before seeding

Get a free estimate or call (832) 772-4979.

La Porte Shoreline History

Shrinking beach. Sylvan Beach began shrinking around 1928 because of erosion from shipping wakes and land subsidence from groundwater extraction.
Beach lost. By the later 20th century erosion had completely eliminated the beach; a 2009 to 2013 project rebuilt it with imported sand and dredging.
Armand Bayou. La Porte lies partly in the 59-square-mile Armand Bayou watershed, which also drains Pasadena and Deer Park.
Battleground. The Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, took place near modern La Porte, where the San Jacinto Monument now stands.

Our Services in La Porte, TX

La Porte Questions

Can grass really stop erosion on my bayfront lot?

On a yard slope, yes. Dense roots hold soil far better than bare ground. A wave-cut shoreline needs engineering, but the yard above it can be seeded and blanketed.

Will hydroseed survive salt spray?

Some grasses handle salt better than others. We pick seed for the exposure and keep the mulch heavy so seedlings stay moist.

Do you install silt fence near Barbours Cut or Bayport?

Yes. We install and maintain silt fence and inlet protection on commercial and industrial sites.

My yard has a low spot that never drains. Seed or fix?

Fix it first. Grass will not establish in standing water.

Free Estimates in La Porte, TX

Free estimates along the La Porte bayfront and inland.

Call (832) 772-4979 Free Estimate