Jim Blackburn, one of Texas’ leading voices in environmental law and coastal protection, has been hired as a consultant to support the planning and design of the Galveston Bay Barrier System, also known locally as the “Ike Dike.”
Blackburn and the Rice University SSPEED Center previously promoted alternative storm‑surge protection concepts — such as the Galveston Bay Park Plan — as a more cost‑effective and locally focused alternative to the Ike Dike, with Blackburn publicly debating its merits and advocating for competing approaches.
Since that time, however, Blackburn’s work positions the Galveston Bay Park Plan as a complementary component within the broader U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Coastal Texas Project, showing a shift toward collaboration and alignment with the Ike Dike effort.
Jim Blackburn Photographer: Brandon Thibodeaux for Bloomberg Green
According to Blackburn, “It is essential for our region to get the best hurricane protection with the least environmental damage at the most reasonable cost. The solution will be huge in size and among the most difficult engineering and environmental design projects in the world. I am proud at this point in my career to try to help solve this important problem for the region, the state and the nation.”
Blackburn is a professor of Environmental Law at Rice University, co-director of the Severe Storm Prediction, Education, and Evacuation from Disasters (SSPEED) Center, and a longtime environmental planner and coastal‑resilience advocate. In his consultancy role at GCPD, Blackburn will contribute his deep knowledge of coastal ecosystems and storm‑surge mitigation to support the planning and design of the Galveston Bay Barrier System.
“Bringing Jim on board is a tremendous win for this project and for our region. His lifelong dedication to Gulf Coast resilience and his proven environmental leadership will ensure this project balances engineering goals with vital environmental considerations,” said Coalter Baker, Executive Director, Gulf Coast Protection District.
The Galveston Bay Barrier System is the largest element of the broader Coastal Texas Project, accounting for 85 percent of the $35 billion authorized cost. “The Gate” (Bolivar Roads Gate System) is a historic federal initiative that will serve as the largest flood gate system in the world, and the Beaches and Dunes features are the first two components of the Galveston Bay Barrier System to move into design.
Learn More: Texas Leads Bold Push to Build “The Gate”
