Texas Wetlands

A creek in East Texas, flowing to the Neches River.
A creek in East Texas, flowing to the Neches River.
Photo courtesy Jennifer Key, TPWD 2004,
Angelina County

Texas is a large and ecologically diverse state containing many different types of wetlands, most of which can be placed in the below categories:


What determines a wetland?

Although the nature and properties of wetlands varies widely in Texas and worldwide, wetlands are typically defined by the presence of:

  1. Wetland hydrology
    -- water that is present for part or all of the year, at or above the surface, or within the root zone.
  2. Wetland soils
    -- soil characteristics that differ from surrounding uplands.
  3. Wetland vegetation
    -- wetlands will contain plants that are adapted to the presence of water, and generally lack plants that are intolerant of wet conditions.