Where water meets land – Riparian areas

The Hill Country Steward
By Central Texas Conservation Partnership

Often, when we think about the health of our Hill Country creeks or rivers, our tendency is to look straight down in the channel. Is there any water down there? How much? See any fish?

No doubt, these are important questions. However, by narrowing our focus solely onto what is in the stream channel, we disregard the extensive natural infrastructure that sustains our creeks and rivers. A key part of this natural infrastructure is the riparian zone.