Prairie restoration helps with flooding
HOUSTON (October 22, 2018) – Richard Zientek, Director of Public Affairs for Union Pacific, presented Mary Anne Piacentini, President and Chief Executive Officer for the Katy Prairie Conservancy, and Ali Dodson, Advancement Director for the Katy Prairie Conservancy, a check to support prairie restoration on Katy Prairie Conservancy’s protected lands.
Mary Anne Piacentini and Ali Dodson from Katy Prairie Conservancy receive a check from Richard Zientek from Union Pacific at a ceremony on October 22, 2018.
The Katy Prairie Conservancy works to restore wetlands and tallgrass prairie on coastal prairie lands in Harris and Waller Counties. Once restored, wetlands filter water and improve water quality, while also providing foraging, roosting, and nesting habitat for resident and migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, and upland species. The prairie’s wetlands also play an important role in storm water absorption, which reduces flooding, pollutants, and sediment loads in watershed runoff. Important also in helping with flood control is the restoration of tallgrass prairie, which increases the amount of organic matter in the soil and leads to deep root systems with increased water holding capacity and increased soil porosity. The restoration of tallgrass prairie also improves habitat for wildlife and pollinators. The milkweed plant that abounds on the prairie is the only plant that the monarch butterfly can feed upon. Monarch butterflies are a species of concern for state and federal agencies.
“These restored grasslands will provide habitat for upland species, including bobwhite quail and eastern meadowlark, species that have been declining because of lack of grassland habitat nationwide,” says Piacentini. “The Union Pacific grant along with the support from others will help ensure that present and future generations have healthier land and watersheds.
This grant from Union Pacific is part of the company’s Community Ties Giving Program. For over 150 years, Union Pacific has been committed to building America, and this program helps build safe, prosperous, and vibrant communities.
About Katy Prairie Conservancy
The Katy Prairie Conservancy is a nonprofit land trust dedicated to preserving the coastal prairie for people and wildlife. For Houston, the Katy Prairie Preserve is the right prairie in the right place. These protected lands west of the city play an important role in flood control, outdoor recreation, and wildlife habitat. But there is still prairie that remains unprotected. Our work is not done. To learn more about Katy Prairie Conservancy’s conservation efforts, visit katyprairie.org <http://www.katyprairie.org/> or find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @katyprairie.