Land Use and Ownership Trends in the Trinity River Basin

This post was guest authored by Matt Wilkins, a Wildlife and Fisheries student at Texas A&M University, and reviewed by Blake Alldredge of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, and Todd Snelgrove of Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources.

 

The Trinity River provides water to 40% of Texans, making it perhaps the most important river basin in Texas.  But population growth, habitat loss, and fragmentation greatly affect the Trinity River as changes in land use impact the quality and quantity of water reaching the river.  Between 1997 and 2007, Texas gained over 4.3 million new residents, an increase of 22%.  More people results in more development and the loss of valuable rural land that supports agriculture and wildlife. 

As larger, privately owned farms and ranches are divided into smaller properties it becomes increasingly difficult for them to support farming and ranching operations like they once could.  This land fragmentation can also lead to the loss of wildlife habitat, degraded water quality and a loss of recreational opportunities in rural locations.  Over 95% of our state’s land is privately owned, and the different management perspectives that landowners have leads to different land uses, which can also greatly affect the wildlife and water resources on their property.  In areas such as the Trinity River Basin, the proper stewardship of these private lands is essential to guaranteeing a healthy availability of natural resources for our future generations.  To address this ever increasing problem, the Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources has created the Texas Land Trends website to provide data on this subject viewable to the public. 

General facts about ownership size and land use trends in the Trinity River Basin:

         The Trinity River Basin gained over 5,000 small (<100 acres) farms and ranches from the year 1997 to 2007, which resulted from a loss of mid-sized ranches (100-2000 acres).

        Despite a high increase in the number of small properties and acres in the 1-100 acre size class, significant consolidation of other properties occurred resulting in an increase over 140,000 acres of land in the 2000+ acre size class. Consolidation was greatest in the middle basin between Dallas and Lake Livingston, while fragmentation was most severe in the lower counties in the basin.

       

      There has been a significant increase in non-native pastures (around 20%), as well as a correlating decrease in native rangeland and cropland.  Nearly 173,000 acres has been lost in the “Other” category, which includes orchards, vineyards, and other intensive horticulture operations.  Since 1995, wildlife management now qualifies for open-space appraisal (1-d-1) for property tax valuation, leading to an increase in lands managed for wildlife in the Trinity River basin from 2,682 acres in 1997 to 84,593 in 2007. (Wildlife Management information not included in the chart below.)

The fragmentation of these properties is credited to two main things: a weak agricultural economy and rapid population growth. This puts a major strain on the various wildlife species, as well as the water resources of the Trinity River basin.  When private lands are fragmented, a number of problems emerge for wildlife populations.  Loss of food sources and cover from predation, competitive exotic species, and hunting pressures all become challenges for wildlife with increasing fragmentation. 

            In addition, ownership size is also directly correlated to profitability landowners derive from the land.  Statewide, the proportion of private lands that reported positive net income was greater than 50% for those operations larger than 500 acres in size.  Therefore, consolidation of private lands increases profitability of agricultural operations.

            How our state’s land is managed directly impacts vital resources such as water. Water use is increasing with the growth of our population.  Our land, wildlife and people depend on the quantity and quality of water.  Nearly 80% of the water used in Trinity River Basin is geared towards municipal use in the D/FW Metroplex and Houston (Cathey et al 2007).  Therefore, it is in the best interests of landowners and municipalities to ensure these rural lands are being managed for water conservation so that rainfall can infiltrate into the ground, which will reduce erosion rates and pollutant loads.  Land management practices that do this will prolong reservoir life with less sediment filling it, lower water treatment costs, and increase community well-being.

            Conservation easements and Wildlife Management Associations (WMAs) are two ways that landowners can protect their land for future generations and benefit wildlife management in Texas.  To find out more about conservation easements, visit the Texas Land Trust Council website and watch this video from the Texas Agricultural Land Trust. To learn more about WMAs, visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website.

            In conclusion, private landowners are the stewards of our wildlife populations and natural resources.  Consolidation of properties and an increase of areas managed for wildlife in the middle basin are greatly beneficial for the natural resources in this part of the basin, while high fragmentation and loss of native habitat in the lower basin is a great cause for concern.  The combination of the data from the Texas Land Trends website and the understanding of the consequences of an increasing fragmentation rate and land use changes should influence private landowners to work with their neighbors, conservation organizations and federal and state agencies to maintain their land and keep it in one piece. 

To learn more about land use and ownership trends in Texas, visit the Texas Land Trends website to read about statewide trends. To learn about trends in your county, river basin, or ecoregion, click on “Trends Visualizer” in the top left.

Works Cited

Cathey, J.C. et al.  2007. Linking Water Conservation & Natural Resource Stewardship in the Trinity
River Basin. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service SP-318.

Coppedge, Clay. "State Losing Ag Land at Rapid Rate."Country World. N.p., 7 Aug. 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://www.countryworldnews.com/news/headlines/1179--state-losing-ag-land-at-rapid-rate.html>.

"Texas Agricultural Land Trust".  Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://txaglandtrust.org/>.

"Texas Land Trends." Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://txlandtrends.org>.

Wagner, M. "Land Fragmentation in Texas: Meeting the Challenge." Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.