Journal Article: The Texas Coastal Ocean Observation Network

Tidal Datums are utilized in the determination of littoral boundaries differentiating state owned lowlands and privately owned uplands along the Texas Coastal shoreline. The collection of water level data for the purposes of establishing these datums became critical during a dispute between the State of Texas and a private land owner. The Texas General Land Office (TGLO) in partnership with the CBI at TAMUCC began the installation of a network of water level data collection stations in 1989. The Texas Coastal Ocean Observation Network (TCOON) came into existence in 1991 with the acceptance of a bill that identified the TCOON as a network that would collect data and information utilized for the management and protection of state resources along the Texas Coast. Since 1989, CBI has implemented numerous changes, upgrades, updates, and the installation of many new systems that now make up the TCOON. As of 2014, the TCOON consists of 30 data collection systems operating continuously to standards developed by the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS), a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations (NOAA) National Ocean Service (NOS).