Headwaters to Baywaters: A Future of Urban Resilience Launches

Bayou Land Conservancy, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Galveston Bay Foundation, Houston Audubon, and Katy Prairie Conservancy announce Headwaters to Baywaters: A Story of Urban Resilience, an interactive website at www.harcresearch.org/H2BRiparian. Shown through beautiful photographs and interactive maps, this website explains the scientific importance of riparian corridors and the organizations’ conservation efforts to preserve them in the Houston-Galveston Region.

Riparian corridors are unique areas where land meets freshwater along our area bayous and creeks. They provide benefits to the people and wildlife that live in our area such as clean drinking water, recreation, flood protection, wildlife habitat, and economic growth. Many of these waterways are impaired, and the permanent preservation of land beside them can ensure healthy lands, healthy waters, and healthy communities.

The Headwaters to Baywaters story map allows the user to learn about the importance of riparian corridors in the Houston region, explore maps showing the myriad riparian corridors in the area, and take a closer look at the science behind their benefits. The Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) provided the scientific analysis and developed the story map for the ongoing study.

“Katy Prairie Conservancy is thrilled to see this important work launch,” states Mary Anne Piacentini, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Katy Prairie Conservancy, who leads the multi-year collaboration for the Headwaters to Baywaters Initiative. “The story map is a valuable tool for communicating the importance of protecting riparian corridors and will help us identify priority areas for conservation.”

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About the Headwaters to Baywaters Initiative

The Headwaters to Baywaters Initiative works to connect regional bayous and Galveston Bay through planning to identify high quality, riparian habitats with the potential to contribute to water quality improvements; restoration and enhancement of riparian lands adjacent to targeted priority areas; and acquisition of land and designation of conservation easements on priority areas for riparian corridor protection. It is part of the 8-County Gulf-Houston Regional Conservation Plan (RCP), facilitated by Houston Wilderness. The Headwaters to Baywaters Initiative includes the following partners:

Bayou Land Conservancy has been at the forefront of land preservation in the Houston region for 25 years, with the mission of preserving land along streams for flood control, clean water, and wildlife. For further information visit www.bayoulandconservancy.org.

Buffalo Bayou Partnership is the non-profit organization revitalizing and transforming Buffalo Bayou, Houston’s most significant natural resource. For further information visit www.buffalobayou.org.

The Galveston Bay Foundation’s mission is to preserve, protect and enhance the natural resources of the Galveston Bay estuarine system and its tributaries for present users and for posterity. For further information visit www.galvbay.org.

Houston Audubon Society’s mission is to advance the conservation of birds and positively impact their supporting environments. For further information visit www.houstonaudubon.org.

Katy Prairie Conservancy is a nationally accredited 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to protect coastal prairie, wetlands, and agriculture in southeast Texas for people and wildlife. For further information visit www.katyprairie.org.

HARC is a nonprofit research hub providing independent analysis on energy, air, and water issues to people seeking scientific answers. For further information visit www.HARCresearch.org.  

Link to photo here.

Photo caption: Increasing riparian corridor conservation in the Houston-Galveston region will ensure healthy lands, healthy waters, and healthy communities. Photo courtesy of Jill Boullion.