Texas coalition secures 17,351-acre Powderhorn Ranch using Deepwater Horizon funds

A coalition of Texas conservation groups completed the acquisition of Powderhorn Ranch, a 17,351-acre coastal property in Calhoun County, for $37.7 million in 2014. The deal was financed primarily through $34.5 million from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund, which uses money paid by BP and Transocean after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This purchase marked the biggest U.S. land acquisition funded by the spill settlement and preserved one of the state’s last extensive coastal prairie ecosystems, including oak forests, wetlands, salt marshes, and over 11 miles of tidal shoreline along Matagorda Bay.

The land supports hundreds of wildlife species, notably the endangered whooping crane. After a two-year negotiation, the owners sold the ranch below market value to ensure its protection. In October 2018, more than 15,000 acres were handed over to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, establishing a state wildlife management area aimed at restoring native grasslands, improving hydrology, and providing hunting, fishing, hiking, paddling, and bird-watching opportunities.