History of the Katy Prarie

[crazy_cajun02]

I saw this posted on another site and thought it was interesting. The same story could be told about the Monte Belvieu area in the past 20 years and  how the wallisville project has affected things.

Historically the Katy Prairie is defined by west of Greens Bayou and East of The Brazos River. In Pristine times it was  a fire climax, tall grass prairie.Grasses were Big and Little Bluestem,Switch Grass.And Indian grass.Anywhere from 10 to 50 % of the Pristine Prairie were seasonal depressional wetlands. European Man brought cattle grazing to the area and many large ranches evolved some remnants of these ranches can be seen today.REA "Bob "Smith.Warren Ranch The LH7.Many crops were tried but most failed because of the poor drainge of the soils.The first rice was farmed in the late 1800s.Rice was farmed but there was no mechanization and was very labor intense.After WWII the combine was invented ,called a combine because it both harvested and thrashed the rice.The modern rice dryer was invented by aman in Katy named Tucker.Once farmer could harvest and could dry and store their crop rice farming flourished. Soon farmers had a crop they could plant once and harvest twice.

  The large amount of wetland area attracted ducks by the millions.Geese were visitors after prairie fires. Two events brought the geese to the area .One the planting of rice and the dredging of the ICW. The ICW started the destruction of the marsh forcing geese to look for alternative food sources. Since geese used the rice prairies at fire times  they were already used to feeding there.They found ample food in the wasted grain in the rice prairies. At first they would fly back to the marsh but hunters soon learned that if they provided water and safety.They would roost in the rice fields.

In the early 1980s rice acrage began to decline and Houston started to grow westward. The Katy Prairie has become a thing of the past.

[bronco1]

Sounds about right, same thing with the trinity bay marsh.

[crazy_cajun02]

yeah, it wouldn't be near as bad if we could the wallisville project managers to actually take up some sildlife management and stick to it.  Controlled burns, spray hyacinth, and try to plant some actual food plots that waterfowl like.

[bronco1]

yeah, it wouldn't be near as bad if we could the wallisville project managers to actually take up some sildlife management and stick to it.  Controlled burns, spray hyacinth, and try to plant some actual food plots that waterfowl like.

You have to remember it is a government agency. While the Rangers themselves may want to inplement these policies if the higher ups don't see the need there is no money set aside. I know that they are supposed to have activated the hyacinth eradication program already or at least the money has been approved just not sure when they will get it.

[crazy_cajun02]

  Yeah i fully understand that. When donny was there we took them out in an airboat with a biologist to show them what needed to be done. They were real interested in starting the programs. I don't lay blame on anyone but washington. It would be nice to get Delta Waterfowl in there to appropriate the money and see if washington would go for it. Funny, how it's not that simple because of all the red tape involved.