Riparian areas—transitional zones between the aquatic environments of streams, rivers, and lakes and the terrestrial environments on and alongside their banks—are special places. They provide almost two hundred thousand miles of connections through which the waters of Texas flow. Keeping the water flowing, in as natural a way as possible, is key to the careful and wise management of the state’s water resources. Texas Riparian Areas evolved from a report commissioned by the Texas Water Development Board as Texas faced the reality of over-allocated water resources and long-term if not permanent drought conditions. Its purpose was to summarize the characteristics of riparian areas and to develop a common vocabulary for discussing, studying, and managing them. To learn more about The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, sponsors of this book's series, please click here. "I learned a tremendous amount in reading [ Texas Riparian Areas ], and I am convinced that this will be a useful book to policymakers, state regulators, professionals in the Texas parks and recreational services field as well as property owners who seek to preserve the environment in ways that are consistent with their own business interests."—Gerald R. North, Distinguised Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and Oceanography, Texas A&M University -- Gerald R. North Published On: 2013-02-03 THOMAS B. HARDY is professor of biology and chief science officer at The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University where he specializes in watershed planning, riparian corridors, and aquatic ecosystem dynamics. NICOLE A. DAVIS is a graduate research assistant at The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment and a PhD candidate in aquatic resources at Texas State University.