Texas R.I.C.E.:
Restoring Abandoned Agricultural Lands
The
Texas Rice Belt is an environmentally important part of the coastal prairie of
Texas. From Port Arthur to Port Lavaca, it occupies land are within 18 counties
of the upper Gulf Coast. Not only is this area valuable for its agricultural
production, but it is also vitally important to the delicate ecosystems of five
of the state’s seven major river basins. These bays and estuaries provide
nursery grounds for hundreds of fish and bird species. Although Texas’
wetlands have declined 47 percent over the last 50 years, the man-made wetlands
provided by the rice industry supply over 300,000 acres of dwindling habitat.
These wetlands are vital as winter feeding and roosting grounds to millions of
ducks and geese who have made this area the final stop during their annual
migration to the Central Flyway.
Texas Coastal Program will provide funding to support the restoration of 300 acres of freshwater wetlands, 150 acres in both Calhoun and Matagorda Counties. This project will create wetland habitat by constructing levees on approximately 6 fields. Levees will be built to retain water for waterfowl, wading and shorebirds during the fall and spring. The wetlands will have a maximum depth of 18 inches, with an average depth of 2-4 inches.
Additionally, this project will help restore 300 acres of prairie wetlands which historically have been in agriculture production, yet were never leveled. The objective is to restore natural hydrology by eliminating the drainage ditches which drained the depressions through prior agriculture practices. Additionally, removal of exotic vegetation such as McCartney Rose and Chinese tallow will be completed, thereby enabling natural vegetation to establish.
