Baseline Comparative Soil and Vegetation Assessment for Areas with Native Vegetation Versus Non-native

Project Period

2025 (Phase 1)

Study Area

Harris County

Description

The Harris County Soil and Water Conservation District (HCSWCD) and the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) were interested in the effects of various native species planting configurations and assemblages on soil parameters and soil health indicators. Among various HCFCD facilities, such as drainage channels and detention basins, efforts have been made to plant and cultivate communities of native wetland, prairie, and woody vegetation with the primary goal of providing stormwater quality benefits. In addition to the stormwater quality benefits, they wanted to investigate whether these native plant communities are causing changes to the soil that have the potential to impact stormwater quality, flood management, or both. This one-year pilot study assessed two HCFCD bioswales and two created wetlands and compared the soil and vegetation conditions to their adjacent traditional drainage canals.

Project Sponsors and Partners

• Harris County Soil and Water Conservation District
• Harris County Flood Control District