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Big Thicket National Preserve Water Corridors Management Assessment Prepared by Dr. Paul A. Harcombe, Principal Investigator

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Big Thicket National Preserve Water Corridors Management Assessment Prepared by Dr. Paul A. Harcombe, Principal Investigator Draft Big T hicket National P r eser ve W ate r Cor r ido r s Managemen t Ass ess men t Pr epared by Dr P u H mbe Pr n c a Inve r . a . ar co st at l A , i ip l ig o Pr fess r De artment ofEc and Evolultionai B o o , p ology y iology Ri c e University ' G enda a awa Co -Pnn ci al In est at r l C ll y, p v ig o Princ a Ekist c s r rat n ip l , i Co po io Under Cooper ative Agreement With N ational Par k Service Big Thicket N ational Pres erve " " R char d Pete Peters n Su erintendent i o , p 28 Febr uary 1 997 Drafi Big T hicket National P r eser ve W ater C or r idor s Man agem en t Assess men t Prepared by Dr Pau Harcombe Pr nc a In est at r . l A . , i ip l v ig o Pr fess r De artment ofEc and Evolultionar B o o , p ology y iology Rice University ' G enda a awa Co-Pn nci al In est at r l C ll y, p v ig o Pr nc a Ekist cs r rat n i ip l , i Co p o io Under Cooperative Agreement With National Par k S ervice Big Thicket National Preserve " " R chard Pete Peters n Su er ntendent i o , p i 28 Februar y 1 997 T abl e of Con tents Introduction Description ofthe Preserve and Mission Statement Role/Function of the Water Corridor s in the Preserve Purpo se ofthe Water Corridor Management Assessment The Concept of Critical Resources The Identification of Critical Resources of the Water Corridors r m . Wate (quality , quantity and ti ing) Woody in-stream substrate (snags) m Str ea banks . r Floodplain fo est . Management to Protect Critical Resources Resour ce Protection Authority Background Biodiversity Impacts to water corridor resources Recommended management actions Considerations for NP S resear ch Endangered Species Impacts to water corridor resources Recommended management actions Considerations fo r NPS research Exotic Species Impact to water corridor resour ces Recommended management actions Considerations fo r NP S research Water Quality Impact to water corridor resources Recommended management actions Considerations fo r NPS r esearch r : m m r R Wate Flow I pound ents, Dive sions, eleases Impact to water corridor resources Recommended management actions Considerations for NPS research Woody In- str eam Substrate (Snags) Impact on water corridor resources Recommended management actions Considerations for NP S research Str eam Banks (Erosion and River Meander) Impact to water corridor resources Recommended management actions Considerations for NPS research Floodplain Forest Habitat Impact on water corridor resources Recormn ended management actions Considerations for NPS resear ch Aesthetic/Scenic Qualities Impacts to water corridor resources Recommended management actions Considerations for NPS resear ch Archeological and Cultural Resources Impacts to water corridor resources Recommended management actions Considerations for NP S resear ch Public Use ofthe Preserve Impact to water corridor resources Recommended management actions Considerations for NPS research Hunting and Trapping Background Possible general guidelines Recommended general guideline Recommended management actions Fishing Background Possible alternatives Recommended general guideline Recommended management actions Boating Background Possible alternatives Recommended general guideline Recommended management actions Swimming and Picnicking Authority Background Recommended management actions Cammng Authority Background Possible alternatives Reco rrun ended general guidelines Recommended management actions Houseboats in the BTNP Background Impacts to water corridor resources Considerations for NPS research plan Recommended management actions Mineral Extraction and Tr ansport Impacts to water corridor resources Considerations for NPS research plan Recommended management actions Trash and Waste Disposal Authority Background Possible alternatives Recormn ended general guidelines Recommended management actions River Access Background Possible alternatives Recommended general guidelines Recommended management actions ri m a m Litte ng, Du ping and V ndalis Authority Background Possible alternatives Recommended general guideline Recommended management actions Illegal Collection ofPlants Impact to water corridor resources Recommended management actions Considerations for NPS r esearch Partner ship Chal lenges Air Quality/Fire Management Impacts to water corridor resources Recommended management actions Considerations for NPS research plan N eighboring Land Use s Impact to water corridor resources Recommended management actions Considerations for NP S resear ch Public Use ofPrivate Lands/Trespassing Impact on water corridor resources Recommended management actions Considerations for NPS resear ch Salt Water Barriers on the Neches River and Little Pine Island Bayou Impact to water corridor resources Recommended management actions Considerations for NPS resear ch plan Stream Diversions/Water Rights : Tr ans- Texas Water Progr am Impact to water corridor resources Recommended management actions Considerations for NPS research plan State and Federal Law Enforcement Inconsistencies Impact to water corridor resources Recommended management actions Considerations for NP S research Unauthorized Commercial Use of Preserve Impact to water corridor resources Recommended management actions Considerations for NPS Research Economic Development and Tourism Impact to water corridor resources Recommended management actions Considerations for NP S Resear ch Summary and Conclusion Summary of Actions for Managing Critical Resources ofthe Water Corridors Implications for Preserve Management Inform ation Needed to Protect Critical Resources Administrative Records Research Needs Staff and Funding Resources Needed Legislative or Administrative Action Needed Conclusion Intr od u ction Descr iption of the Pr eser ve and Mission Statemen t E s w r N r r BTNP or Situated in the a t Texas Piney oods egion, the Big Thicket ational P ese ve ( r r rt of r r ff r r Or r the P ese ve) includes pa s Ha din, Jaspe , Je e son, Libe ty, ange, Polk and Tyle r r m of fift r 1 993 and Counties . The P ese ve is ade up een units, including th ee added in , has a r r 1 BTNP M a . ri r a of . total autho zed a e ac es (See Figu e , Location p ) The widely " disper sed land units and the water corridor units were intended to assure the preser vation of numerous repr esentative ar eas typical ofthe Big Thicket region and protect and preserve the ' " r m b r r H 93 natu al values which ake this iological c oss oads unique in the United States ( R . 676 N m r 29 r r t N r r NP S m , ove be , Cong ess has di ec ed the ational Pa k Se vice ( ) to anage the units of the Pr eserve in a manner which will assure their natural and ecological integrity r f r m PL 93 -43 9 O r 1 1 1 9 74 88 o and . in pe petuity and to allow public use enjoy ent ( , ctobe , ; Stat . The Preserve is located in an area whose economy has been dominated by the timber and oil ri ri r r r m r r and gas indust es and ag cultu e . While the P ese ve is close to the ajo population cente s of r m r r r Ora and m the Golden T iangle (Beau ont, Po t A thu and nge) Houston, it contains so e of " " m r m k r m M al the ost e ote bac woods e aining in the state . ost of the loc population could be " characterized as having the very independent rural attitude associated with American r m f r r o m r mi e a. pionee s . So e the local population aintains lifestyles e niscent of the pionee m m r r r r m r r At the sa e ti e, the a ea is slowly being enc oached upon by g owth f o the nea by u ban r r r r r cente s . The tensions c eated by esistance to u banization as well as tensions c eated by a federal presence in an area where many are accustomed to unfettered access to common r rt r r r are w r r of p ope y esou ces (whethe they in fact publically o ned) , coupled with the p essu es environmentalists to preserve the unique biological heritage embodied in the Preserve in the face of increasing public use and decreasing public fi mds make a lively mix of challenges f NPS m n BTNP r ma r aced by the in a aging the . The issues encounte ed in naging the wate corridors of the Preserve are a good example of the types of considerations encountered thr oughout the BTNP . Rol e/F unction of the W ater C or r id ors in the Pr eser ve E of BTNP i r rr r ight the un ts, including the newly autho ized Big Sandy Co ido Unit and the r rri r n are ri r r rr r i Village C eek Co do U it, ve , c eek and bayou co ido s . These eight un ts, which f r r w r fo r m m m : lie along ou wate ays, we e studied this anage ent assess ent N eches River Upper Neches River Corridor Unit Neches Bottom and Jack Gore Baygall Unit Lower Neches River Corridor Unit Beaumont Unit Little Pine Island - Pine Island Bayou Corridor Unit Menar d Creek Corridor Unit . Village Creek Big Sandy Corridor Unit Village Creek Corr idor Unit The corri dor units along these low- gradient coastal plain str eams are intended to preserve ri to r n rr f r c tical aquatic habitat and se ve as a li kage between su ounding floodplain o ests, r r f r r f p oviding some continuity to the otherwise dispe sed units o the P ese ve .
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