From Wetlands to Waterfronts: Texas’s Changing Coastal Lands
Land development alters the natural landscape, affecting Texas's coastal waters.
Land cover refers to the things we see on the land’s surface. For example, we can classify forests, wetlands, agricultural land, and developed land as different types of land cover.
Let’s take a closer look at the different types of land cover that make up the Texas Coastal Zone as of 2019.
All land cover data used in this project can be sourced from the National Land Cover Database (NLCD). This data can be found here: NLCD Land Cover (CONUS) All Years | Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium
To see all land cover classification details, please visit: National Land Cover Database Class Legend and Description | Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium
Barren land (3%)
Exposed rock, sand, or clay.
Forests (4%)
Shrubland (8%)
Also known as "Brush Country."
Grassland (11%)
Agricultural Land (29%)
Wetland (30%)
Developed Land (13%)
Undeveloped Land vs Developed Land
While there’s an abundance of undeveloped land in the coastal zone, it’s crucial to be mindful of how we shape its future. Our development decisions have the power to alter the natural landscape and affect how water flows across the land.
In Texas, urban development has contributed to large amounts of impervious infrastructure, like roads, parking lots, sidewalks, houses, and commercial buildings.
These surfaces prevent water from seeping into the ground as it should. Instead, it simply slides down roads, driveways, and roofs, disrupting natural processes.
The water that runs off the ground collects pollutants like:
- Car chemicals and oils - Yard fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides - Pet waste and litter
Pollutants like these flow into stormwater drainage systems, like streets, gutters, ditches, or ponds. This polluted water then enters into larger bodies of water like streams, rivers, lakes, or oceans.
How has land cover change altered the Texas Coastal Zone?
Texas Coastal Zone
Port Arthur, TX
Port Arthur is a port city located about 25 miles from Beaumont in Jefferson County, Texas. Changes in the region over time show the Lower Neches River has been channelized and widened, as seen on the right.
1956 (left), 2020 (right)
Channelizing rivers and streams alters a stream’s natural flow, allowing water to move quicker and into new areas. This practice increases the amount of eroded sediment entering waterways, degrading water quality and harming wildlife habitat. Channelizing also increases flooding downstream, limits groundwater recharge, contributes to coastal erosion, and the destruction of wetland ecosystems.
Jefferson County has seen a nearly 26 percent decrease in woody wetlands 1 acreage since 2001.
1 Woody wetlands: Areas where forest or shrubland vegetation accounts for greater than 20 percent of vegetative cover and the soil or substrate is periodically saturated with or covered with water.
Clear Lake, TX
Located near the Houston metroplex and the Johnson Space Center, the city of Clear Lake has seen rapid development and population growth over time.
For example, League City, which is connected to the southern end of Clear Lake, grew from 45,306 people in 2010, to 114,392 people in 2020: a near 152 percent increase in population.
Consequently, there has been a reduction in wetland and forest habitats to accommodate this growing population. This could contribute to a degradation of water quality within the nearby lake, also known as Clear Lake.
1953 (left), 2020 (right) Source: United States Census Bureau
Pasadena, TX
Like Clear Lake, Pasadena has also seen significant population growth and development.
Areas within Pasadena have sunk in the last 100 years due to groundwater pumping and impervious cover, making it prone to flooding.
When tropical storms, hurricanes, and other large rain events occur, Pasadena communities are at risk of severe flooding.
1953 (left), 2020 (right).
Aransas County, TX
In Aransas County, Developed Land makes up roughly 9% of the total land acreage. This is equal to about 15,660 acres, or 11,850 football fields.
Rockport, TX
Rockport is a coastal community north of Corpus Christi experiencing major growth, specifically an expansion of residential subdivisions.
As Rockport's suburban development and impervious cover have grown, the area has experienced a loss of wetlands, coastal erosion, and degraded water quality in their local bays.
1956 (left), 2020 (right)
Corpus Christi, TX
Corpus Christi has altered its landscapes to accommodate an increasing population and seasonal demands from tourists. As a result, water quality within Corpus Christi Bay has experienced degraded water quality.
How clean is the water at your favorite beach? Click the link below to find out.
1956 (left), 2020 (right)
Brownsville, TX
Floodplains are areas susceptible to being submerged by floodwaters during a large rain event or storm. Building houses and businesses within the floodplain in Brownsville has contributed to flood damage (and also risk to human lives) and impaired water quality. High-Risk flood areas
Low-Risk flood areas
To move water quickly away from housing during flood events, local creeks have been channelized and canals have been built for drainage purposes.
However, this approach comes with a price: water quality can degrade, downstream flooding can intensify, and local wildlife can be adversely affected.
1970 (left), 2020 (right)
How do these changes affect us?
Fishing is an important industry in Texas, as it provides fresh seafood to people across the United States while supporting local fishermen and their families. In 2020, the non-import commercial fishing industry added about $555 million dollars to Texas’s economy.
However, degradation in water quality and loss in wildlife habitats can harm Texas's fishing and ecotourism industries. Oyster reefs, for example, have suffered nationwide due to unsustainable fishing and water quality degradation. In Texas, oyster fisheries have had to close major reefs, and have also proposed permanent closure for some bays.
Image by ImageTek via Flickr
Texas's gulf plains, wetlands, and beaches attract people from all over the world to view its wildlife.
Ecotourism (or nature tourism) is directed toward observing natural environments and wildlife and supporting environmental conservation efforts. Texas Parks and Wildlife states that its nature tourism goals are to "promote habitat conservation, promote sustainable economic development, and build broad-based public support for wildlife conservation programs."
The Outdoor recreation industry added about $38 billion to the Texas economy in 2021, and recreational boating and fishing industries contributed about $2 billion.
Texas has a thriving ecotourism industry that depends on healthy coastal waters. When waters are polluted, tourists are less likely to visit beaches or other natural areas that make our great state so special.
Image by Charlie Llewellin via Flickr
How we choose to develop impacts people, the environment, and the economy.
To learn about how you can keep your local waterways clean, click the links below.
Image by Gabriel Anderson via Flickr
