Phone: (979) 244-6804
Address:
1700 7th St.
Bay City, TX 77414
Contact: Todd Merendino
Description
The Matagorda Island WMA consists of 56,688 acres of offshore barrier island
and bayside marshes which is operated as a wildlife management area, jointly
owned by the Texas General Land Office and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
and is cooperatively managed as the Matagorda Island National Wildlife Refuge
and State Natural Area. Texas Parks and Wildlife manages the Area for public use
and the Fish and Wildlife Service has the main responsibility for managing the
wildlife and habitat on the island.
The island is 38 miles long and varies in width from less than a mile to
about four and a half miles. The island supports a wide variety of migratory
birds, some 19 state or federally listed threatened or endangered species, a
large herd of white-tailed deer, alligators and other wildlife. Activities
include salt-water fishing, hunting (in season), birding, picnicking and
historical interpretation. A lighthouse dating from 1852 still stands at the
north end of the island. Matagorda Island is known for its seclusion and
untouched natural beauty.
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