Stream Corridor Restoration
Bayou Preservation Association’s Stream Corridor Restoration program focuses on improving the physical condition and function of bayous and streams where land and water meet. This work supports urban water quality by stabilizing stream banks, improving riparian conditions, and reducing erosion and sediment impacts in targeted locations.
BPA works at the stream corridor scale to support restoration actions that are practical, coordinated, and maintainable over time. Projects are typically implemented in partnership with public agencies, land managers, and community stakeholders and are informed by site conditions, monitoring data, and long-term maintenance considerations.
By focusing on targeted restoration rather than one-time interventions, this program helps strengthen bayou systems, protect adjacent infrastructure, and support lasting environmental outcomes.
Dawson-Lunnon Cemetery Restoration
Established in 1915, Dawson-Lunnon Cemetery is a historic African American burial ground that had been largely overlooked amid decades of urban development. Situated along the banks of Country Club Bayou, a confirmed impaired tributary of the Brays Bayou, the site faced compounding environmental pressures including bank erosion, litter, degraded water quality, and loss of biodiversity.
Bayou Preservation partnered with the Friends of Dawson Lunnon to plan and implement nature-based solutions addressing these challenges while remaining sensitive to the site’s cultural heritage. Together, we developed a long-term maintenance framework built on active monitoring, best management practices, and sustained community engagement.
This work would not be possible without the support of National Trust for Historic Preservation, River Oaks Garden Club, Harris County Flood Control District, American Youthworks’ Texas Conservation Corps, Evergreen Outdoor Services, and the community volunteers whose dedication brings lasting stewardship to this space.
Challenger Seven Memorial Park
The Challenger Seven Memorial Park habitat restoration project focuses on the restoration of 75 acres of forested riparian habitat along Clear Creek in Harris County Texas. The project focuses primarily on the removal of invasive woody overstory and understory plant species while also targeting invasive vining species in problem areas. The Challenger Seven restoration project is important to restoring riparian habitat on the shores of Clear Creek. While densely populated with invasive species, the area was less
degraded than many riparian areas in the region, and the presence of many native plants indicated that recruitment of native species should be possible after the removal of competing invasives.
The riparian habitat has a direct effect on the water quality of Clear Creek. Functional riparian zones will slow the progress of water from the surrounding uplands into the creek and may help mitigate flooding. The reestablishment of the native understory will also help in soil retention and reduce erosion, as well as capture sediments and debris from runoff before it enters the channel. These healthy plant communities also can improve water quality through the utilization of nutrients, removing some from the water in order to facilitate plant growth
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Nature Based Solutions for Stream Corridor Restoration
Bayou Preservation Association’s Stream Corridor Restoration Principles and Checklist highlights four key areas important to thorough and successful project planning and implementation in the stream corridor.
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Incorporating Outreach for Successful Stream Corridor Restoration.
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Applying a Comprehensive Approach to Preserve, Improve, and Restore Stream Corridors.
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Using Best Practices to Support Form, Functions, and Values.
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Planning for Sustainability and Resilience in Future Benefits, Impacts, and Needs.