2016 Map of Brown Cedar Cut

About this map

Matagorda Peninsula forms a narrow, protective barrier between the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the marshy expanses of the Texas coast. This 2016 survey captures the dynamic hydrology of Matagorda County, where the Intracoastal Waterway cuts through the northern reaches near Live Oak Bay. The central feature of the shoreline is Brown Cedar Cut, a critical tidal opening that facilitates the exchange of water between the Gulf and East Matagorda Bay. The map illustrates a landscape defined almost entirely by its coastal geography, showing the thin strip of land that separates the interior bay system from the sea. This record is particularly useful for observing the contemporary state of these barrier islands and the navigation channels that support regional maritime activity.