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San Jacinto Conservation Coalition

Announces The 2nd Annual

River Bottom Festival

Lake Houston State Park
March 9, 2002

The River Bottom Festival is an all-day Environmental Expo for kids and adults. Many interactive activities are planned, including kid-fish trips to Peach Creek, live birds of prey, booths, hands-on exhibits, canoe rentals, food and more.

State Park entry is $3. There is no entry fee to the festival, and all activities are FREE except canoe/kayak rentals and food/beverages.

Activities Planned:

  • Rent canoes or kayaks for a lazy jaunt down Peach Creek - or bring your own.
  • View the Fun and Educational Exhibits and Booths
  • Try out the Rock-Climbing Wall
  • See live Birds of Prey
  • Learn about Forest and River Ecology
  • Eat some good food!
  • Camp out at the park
  • Get up early to watch the East Fork/West Fork Challenge participants make their way "le mans" style in the dark to the water at 4am Sunday.
    Come for the day, or stay the night!

Forests for Clean Water!

The River Bottom Festival and East Fork/West Fork Challenge Canoe Marathon Benefit the San Jacinto Conservation Coalition, and are intended to raise awareness of Lake Houston State Park, the San Jacinto River and the extremely valuable bottomland hardwood forests -- one of the Lone Star state's most rapidly disappearing, yet one of the most valuable habitat types.

These forests that line the river filter out water pollutants. This year's Race and Festival theme is "Forests for Clean Water." Recent studies by the U.S. Geological Survey and by Kingwood College students strongly indicate water is far healthier where forest remains in the watershed. As forest is replaced with urban development, water quality declines significantly.

Kingwood College Biology students found that as the extent of forest canopy declined, phosphate levels increased, fecal coliform bacteria levels increased, turbidity increased, total dissolved solids increased, and dissolved oxygen levels declined.

A recent U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) study by J. Bruce Moring indicated a strong correlation between biodiversity of aquatic invertebrates and forest cover -- as forest declined, biodiversity declined. Aquatic invertebrates are used by scientists as indicators of water quality because they are very sensitive to pollution.

Taking care of our water is crucial because the San Jacinto runs into Lake Houston, which provides drinking water for Houstonians. The water on its forested eastern flank (Luce Bayou, East Fork of the San Jacinto) contains some of the cleanest water in the entire Houston metroplex. Water quality in other streams west of the lake is significantly lower.

As forest continues to disappear with urban development, the water in our region is sure to decline.

Besides providing drinking water for people, Bald Eagles nest on the San Jacinto river, and each winter thousands of white pelicans, roseate spoonbills, white ibises, and federally endangered wood storks find shelter and food here. River wildlife is prolific. Osprey, night herons, ducks, and a multitude of waterbirds use the river and the adjacent bottomland forests year-round, as do deer, alligator, river otter, beaver, raccoon, opossum, and flying squirrel.

Policy makers need to plan ahead and preserve forested "buffer zones" along the San Jacinto River and its tributaries before it is too late!

What benefits fish and wildlife benefits humankind! Join us to help preserve the bottomlands along the San Jacinto to keep our drinking water clean, buffer against flooding, and protect fish and wildife habitat.

Read articles originally published in Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine:

We welcome your tax-deductible donations. Memberships are $25 for individual or $35 for a family membership. Mail to:
San Jacinto Conservation Coalition
P.O. Box 287
Huffman, TX, 77336.

Directions:
Lake Houston State Park is located north of Houston/Humble East. To Reach the Park from Houston, take US Highway 59 north to the New Caney exit, FM 1485; travel east 2 miles to Baptist Encampment Road, turn south for 1.5 miles to the park entrance.

Alternatively, from Huffman or Crosby, you can take FM 2100 north which turns into FM 1485. Follow the signs to Lake Houston State Park.

Contact the park at 281-354-6881. To reserve a campsite or lodge at Lake Houston State Park, contact 512-389-8900.

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