Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID TWRI-Anderson-FY24

Ecohydrology of Yaupon Holly

Institute: Texas
Year Established: 2023 Start Date: 2023-09-01 End Date: 2024-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $7,494 Total Non-Federal Funds: $15,362

Principal Investigators: Bradford Wilcox

Project Summary: Over the last century, the Post Oak Savannah ecoregion of Texas has seen an overgrowth of the native Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria) shrub. This growth has progressively changed what was once an open savannah landscape to a dense woodland landscape. Much of the Post Oak Savannah sits over the recharge zone for the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer, which provides water resources to a large portion of Central and Northeast Texas. The recharge zone is an important area of land in which the aquifer is easily refilled with water. Excessive shrub growth has been shown to slow the aquifer refill rate, reducing water resources available for municipal and agricultural use. Despite the overgrowth of Yaupon across the Post Oak Savannah and the potential impacts on water availability, little research has been conducted to determine the effects of Yaupon growth on aquifer recharge. Therefore, this study will focus solely on the unknown impacts of Yaupon on aquifer recharge rates. The results will provide a rationale for restoration projects focused on increasing the recharge rates of the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer and securing water resources for Texas.