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Between 2010 and 2019, six of the 15 fastest-growing cities in the United States were in Texas. Bigger cities mean less land to soak up rainwater, leading to increased flood risk. Land use, climate change making flood mitigation in Texas cities more difficult
Chantal Cough-Schulze | Feb 22, 2021
Texas cities are expanding fast. Between 2010 and 2019, six of the 15 fastest-growing cities in the U.S. were in Texas. Bigger Texas cities mean less land to soak up rainwater, leading to increased flood risk. Add climate change to the equation and you have an even bigger flooding problem to solve.
Buildings, roads, sidewalks and other city elements are impervious: they can’t soak up water like soil can. Instead, water runs off the impervious surfaces, flowing into neighboring streams and low-lying areas. Having faster and higher amounts of runoff results in more flooding, said Wonmin Sohn, an assistant professor in Mich
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A report from the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute outlines the benefits of state-funded conservation easements on working lands.
A recent report by the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, Texas Water Resources Institute and Texas Land Trust Council shows state-funded conservation easements in Texas provide numerous financial and ecological benefits.
The purpose of the 2020 Evaluation Report was to examine the benefits of conservation easements established on privately-owned lands under the Texas Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program, TFRLCP, a state-funded program that purchases development rights from willing and interested landowners.
“Conservation easements are a voluntary agreement between a landowner and a qualified non-governmental organization or government entity,” said Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute director Roel Lopez. “In this agreement, the landowner still owns the land and remains in charge of its day-to-day management but commits