Texas City Prairie Preserve

Prairies and marshlands act as natural buffers against storms and hurricanes, absorbing and dispersing water from storm surges and floods. The sponge-like qualities of the coastal landscape at Texas City Prairie Preserve also help filter freshwater that flows into the Gulf of Mexico. As a result, TNC’s work here has focused on preserving coastal habitat, water quality and the health of the Gulf since the preserve was established in 1995.

Recent science underscores the benefits of local habitat restoration as a cost-effective way to protect coastal communities from the impacts of extreme weather events, like Hurricane Harvey. A 2018 study found that large-scale oyster and wetland restoration projects could help avert more than 45% of climate risk over a 20-year period in the Gulf, saving more than $50 billion in flood damages.

The loss of Texas’ coastal prairie habitat has largely been due to development, which has devastated many wildlife populations that once thrived in the region. TNC’s conservation efforts are safeguarding important habitats for migratory and year-round populations of waterfowl, shorebirds and wading birds, like brown pelicans, peregrine falcons, white-tailed hawk and seaside sparrows.

Woody plants and other non-native species, such as Chinese tallow trees and deep-rooted sedge, also pose a serious threat to the space and resource needs of native plants. By eliminating invasive plant species, TNC is helping natives thrive at the preserve, from yellow Indiangrass and switchgrass to eastern gammagrass.

Sitting between areas of encroaching development, Texas City Prairie Preserve is the perfect living laboratory in which to test storm mitigation and other coastal restoration techniques in a real-world setting. This includes developing living shoreline projects with stakeholders like U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas General Land Office and the Galveston Bay Estuary Program.

Over the years, Texas City Prairie Preserve has become a region-wide model for native prairie restoration, native seed-growing and the benefits of natural infrastructure. Preserve staff have provided design help, seed material and equipment as part of efforts to establish native coastal prairie and restore Memorial Park. We also began working with Rice University in 2018 on seed and habitat restoration techniques for the development of a one-acre "pocket prairie" on campus.

Together, our work at Texas City Prairie Preserve is aiding in stormwater mitigation, water quality filtration, wildlife habitat support and conservation education in the greater Houston area.