The wetland designs, led by wetland experts and engineers, are a key element to Exploration Green. As even greater amounts of storm water runoff from a number of area neighborhoods to the greenspace, the wetlands are needed to naturally filter the water as it flows in tributary streams to Horsepen Bayou, Armand Bayou, Clear Lake and on to Galveston Bay.

 

Texas A&M’s Texas Coastal Watershed Program is developing a detailed design for storm water wetlands within the detention facility that will incorporate hydrology and hydraulics, specifying the best locations of the storm water wetlands and the recommended area of wetlands needed for the anticipated volume of storm water – providing an environmental enhancement that does not exist today.

 

The wetlands will reduce mosquitoes in the constantly flowing water providing functional ecosystems with mosquito-eating frogs, tadpoles and mosquito fish. 

 

While the wetlands will be developed with minimal costs through federal grants and they may also provide some additional funding providing “wetland” credits that other organizations can purchase.