Preserving land for wildlife, clean water, and flood control
About This Tour
Welcome to the Spring Creek Nature Trail TravelStorys EcoTour, brought to you by Bayou Land Conservancy and Union Pacific.
The trail is named after Spring Creek, which is a large natural waterway flowing along the path. As you walk along the trail, you’ll be able to see both Spring Creek and smaller waterways that feed into Spring Creek.
Spring Creek is an important waterway. Not only is it the boundary between Harris and Montgomery counties, but it’s important for our drinking water.
Spring Creek flows to the east into the San Jacinto River, which then flows into Lake Houston. And Lake Houston is a major source of drinking water for the greater Houston area. This means conserving the wetland habitats of Spring Creek directly benefits the water that lands in your drinking glass.
Bayou Land Conservancy spearheaded the creation of the Spring Creek Nature Trail alongside our community partners to provide much-needed access to local outdoor spaces. Texas’ public trails, parks, and preserves are a precious community resource.
Bayou Land Conservancy began its mission of land preservation in 1996, inspired by the example of Terry Hershey, a local environmental hero. We preserve land next to streams for flood control, clean water, and wildlife. We do this by working with willing landowners to so they can have peace of mind knowing their land will stay natural forever! To learn more about us click on the orange banner on your map screen.
Sample Stories
For more content, click the "Explore this Tour Remotely" button below.
Wetland Wildlife
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These wetland ponds are home to fish, amphibians, mammals, even an alligator every so often. But the most visible residents are the wading birds that dot the shoreline, searching for lunch. We've seen bird species here that haven't been found anywhere else in The Woodlands, like the long-billed curlew. The long-billed curlew is a long-legged shorebird with a long, thin, curved bill that forages for earthworms and insects in this habitat.
What's more, bald eagles roost in the tall pine trees surrounding these ponds, and osprey perform acrobatic dives to nab fish. Can you spot an osprey? Look for a white-bodied bird with dark wings soaring above the ponds, scoping out a meal. This habitat is proof that if you build it, they will come!
Floodplains
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Below you flows Spring Creek, a major river that leads into the San Jacinto and forms the liquid boundary between Harris and Montgomery counties. Montgomery County is to the north and Harris County is to the south. From the great flood of 1935 to Tropical Storm Allison and hurricanes like Ike and Harvey, Houston's history is intertwined with our bayou systems and how they operate under stress.
One of the greatest assets towards keeping our homes safe from floodwaters is the preservation of our floodplains. Floodplains are the flat areas of land next to rivers, creeks, and bayous. After heavy rains fill the waterbody, these areas are flooded with water. Houston's floodplains include riparian corridors that are naturally forested wetlands, which filter pollutants from our drinking water and serve as storm buffers for our communities. When floodplains are left natural, and not covered in buildings and pavement, they soak up floodwaters like a sponge, and can play an important role in keeping homes and businesses high and dry.
Conserving our floodplains from the impacts of development and industry is a green insurance plan that Houston can cash in on for generations to come. To promote this vision, Bayou Land Conservancy has worked with local governments and private industries to preserve thousands of acres of floodplains, which gives rainwater a better chance of staying in the creek -- and not in your kitchen.
Wetlands are areas of land that have water on their surface or in the root zone of plants for part of the year. Our wetland ecosystems absorb floodwater, filter aquatic pollutants, and absorb carbon dioxide to keep our communities healthy. Each function of a wetland serves an important role in our quality of life. And here's the kicker: They work for free! Conserving our green spaces helps you conserve your tax dollars, while providing an outdoor amenity for your family to enjoy.
