Water Quality Protection and Storage Characteristics of Freshwater Wetlands in the Galveston Bay Watershed

Summary

The purpose of the Coastal Prairie Freshwater Wetland Function project is to secure scientific data that demonstrates the ecological and economic value of freshwater wetlands in the Galveston Bay watershed. Freshwater wetlands are recognized for their value in mitigating high peak flows during flooding and in filtering pollutants carried in runoff.  Studies evaluating the capacity of freshwater wetlands to store and remove water through evaporation/transpiration during storm events and their capacity to process pollutants will provide a scientific basis for resource management decisions regarding their protection. This project is the second and final phase of a strategy to evaluate the capacity and role of freshwater wetlands in providing floodwater storage and processing pollutants in the Galveston Bay watershed. The project, undertaken by the Galveston Bay Estuary Program (GBEP), hopes to demonstrate the economic and ecological value of protecting freshwater wetland resources for Galveston Bay, as well as the rest of the Texas coast.