The Challenge of Protecting Houston Prairies Amid Constant Development

Following our recent Houston Matters road trip to the newest stretch of the Grand Parkway, in which we learned how some nearby residents and businesses are being affected by the new leg of 99, we received an e-mail from a listener bemoaning how such development adds to the dissipation of prairies on the edges of Greater Houston. Those vanishing prairie lands can help mitigate flooding and offer a rich ecosystem for species that are threatened or endangered.

Take the Katy Prairie — some 30,000 to 50,000 acres of land that’s home to hundreds of different types of birds. The Katy Prairie Conservancy seeks to protect that land.

Today, we talk with Mary Anne Piacentini, executive director of the conservancy, about efforts to preserve the Katy Prairie, how flooding impacts the area and the challenges inherent from encroaching development. We welcome your thoughts as well.

(Above: Recent flooding on the Katy Prairie. Photo: Dave Fehling, Houston Public Media)