By Ali Flanders Dodson, Katy Prairie Conservancy, [email protected]
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.”
