Texas Prairie Wetlands Project

In In 1991, Ducks Unlimited, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Natural Resources Conservation Service partnered to create the Texas Prairie Wetlands Project (TPWP). This partnership was established to help deliver the habitat objectives set forth by the GCJV. The TPWP works with private landowners to restore, enhance, and create shallow-water wetlands throughout the 28-county focus area. In Texas, with 97% of the land held in private ownership, the only way to meet the habitat goals set by the GCJV is to work with private landowners.

The TPWP provides cost-share assistance to landowners for levee construction and installation of water control structures. In addition to cost-share assistance, the landowner is provided technical assistance (i.e., biological and engineering) at no cost. This assistance, coupled with the cost-share is the cornerstone of the TPWP. It not only helps the landowner better manage his/her prairie wetland project, but also any other wetlands that occur on the property.

Since its inception, over 35,000 acres of shallow, seasonal wetlands have been restored or enhanced at a total cost of $7.3 million. The TPWP cost-shared $4.6 million (63%) of the total and the remaining $2.7 million (37%) was contributed by the landowners. Landowners have completed over 445 projects with 750 individually managed wetland units signed under a 10-15 year Wetland Development Agreement with DU and TPWP.

In the 1980s, rice production declined dramatically across the Texas Gulf Coast due to rising production costs and decreasing rice prices. As a result, wetlands that were once drained for rice production are now sitting idle or being grazed by cattle. These areas have access to water (canal or irrigation well) and existing infrastructure associated with rice culture (levees and water control structures), making them ideal candidates for converting back into shallow-water, seasonal wetlands. Currently, approximately 35% of the enrolled acreage in the TPWP is in a rice rotation, 37% is managed for moist-soil vegetation (i.e., rushes, millets, smartweeds, etc.) and the remaining 28% is managed as emergent marsh. This mosaic of habitat types is compatible with the diverse dietary needs (i.e., crops, natural seeds, invertebrates, submerged aquatics) of waterfowl, which is an important aspect of the program when you consider that our ultimate objective is to send the ducks back to the breeding grounds in excellent physical condition.

Click to download:

Program Guidelines

TA Request Form


For more information, please contact:

Matt Kaminski
Regional Biologist
1620 FM 2218
Richmond, TX  77469
(832) 595-0663
mailto:mkaminski@ducks.org