2025 Map of Brown Cedar Cut

About this map

Matagorda Peninsula forms a narrow, shifting barrier between the open waters of the Gulf of America and the protected reaches of East Matagorda Bay. This coastal landscape is defined by the dynamic relationship between the mainland and the sea, with the Intracoastal Waterway cutting through the northern reaches near Turkey Island. The namesake Brown Cedar Cut serves as a critical tidal pass, allowing the exchange of water between the bay and the gulf, a feature of immense importance to local navigation and ecology. Small inlets and marshes like Live Oak Bay characterize the inner shoreline, reflecting the delicate salt-marsh environment of the Texas coast. The map illustrates a largely unpopulated stretch of coastline where the primary human footprint is found in the engineered channels and the preservation of the natural barrier system.