Most Texans recognize that water bodies provide essential benefits such as drinking water, recreation, irrigation water and ecosystem benefits, but do you know why the areas of land surrounding those water sources are critically important?
“Riparian areas are crucial because they provide a majority of the habitat that exists in and around bodies of water,” said Alexander Neal, a program specialist for the Texas Water Research Institute. Neal’s work primarily consists of programs focused on the health of stream ecosystems and water quality improvement.
Read more from Madison Pigg with Texas Water Resources Institute here.