Addicks Dam These normally dry reservoirs are on the west side of Houston on both sides of I-10 at TX6. They contain the largest municipal park in the Nation and provide a unique recreational experience for the metropolitan area. They contain facilities for golf, hiking, picnicking, field sports, horseback riding, shooting ranges, model airplane flying, a velodrome and other activities.
Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument Alibates Flint, distinctive for its varied coloration, occurs in dolomite outcrops atop Permain Aged Redbeds in the Canadian River breaks near Amarillo and Fritch, Texas. Early inhabitants left shallow pits as evidence and quarry activity.
Amistad National Recreation Area A splash of blue stands out against limestone cliffs. The honking of a great blue heron, interspersed with the descending trill of a canyon wren, can be heard off in the distance. This landscape, which at times appears stark and desolate, comes alive with color after a rainstorm. Amistad is a land of contrasts...and of hidden treasures. The same water that draws people to boat and fish today, sustained over 300 generations of hunters and gatherers. They left behind a record of their existence through colorful rock art panels, bits of tools, and fibers preserved for thousands of years by the arid desert climate.
Situated on the United States-Mexico Border, Amistad NRA is known primarily for excellent year round, water-based recreation including: boating, fishing, swimming, scuba diving and water-skiing. Amistad NRA also provides opportunities for picnicking, camping and hunting. The reservoir, at the confluence of the Rio Grande, Devils and Pecos rivers, was created by Amistad Dam in 1969. In addition to excellent recreation, this area is rich in archeology and rock art, and contains a wide variety of plant and animal life. So whether you come to boat, to ponder ancient mysteries, or to listen to bird song and watch the desert bloom, Amistad has something for you.
Please visit Amistad NRA's Official Home Page:
http://www.nps.gov/amis/home.htm Or just click on the "In Depth" button to your right.
Anahuac NWR Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) was established in 1963 to protect important wintering and migration stopover habitat for migratory birds, including large numbers of waterfowl from the Central and Mississippi Flyways. The Refuge is located on the upper Texas Coast, along the eastern portion of Galveston Bay in a region known as the Chenier Plain of Texas and southwest Louisiana. Cheniers are sandy ridges which represent ancient beaches formed by the rising and falling of sea level thousands of years ago. The Refuge lies in a coastal plain built by sediments delivered to the Gulf of Mexico by the Mississippi River, far to the east, and by local river systems including the Trinity, San Jacinto, Sabine and Neches. The Texas Chenier Plain's subtropical climate greatly influences plant and animal communities found in the coastal wetlands, prairies and woodlands which comprise Anahuac NWR. On average, the Refuge receives over 50 inches of rain annually. Occasionally, tropical storms and hurricanes and their associated tidal surges impact the area. These storms, the occurrence of lightning-caused wildfires, and herbivory by geese and muskrats comprise a natural disturbance regime which profoundly influences this dynamic and complex estuarine ecosystem. A continuum of coastal wetland types, which exists along a salinity gradient, is protected on the Refuge. This continuum includes fresh and intermediate marshes located inland of the more tidally-influenced brackish and saline marshes along East Galveston Bay. These habitats support an astounding diversity of plant and animal life. Over 270 species of migratory birds, including waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds and a variety of marsh and water birds inhabit the Refuge. Endangered in the 1960's, Amercican alligators now thrive in its wetlands. Finally, the Refuge's tidally-influenced marshes provide nursery habitat for many important marine species, including white and brown shrimp, blue crab, flounder and spotted sea trout.
Aquilla Dam & Lake This 3,280-acre lake is located on Aquilla and Hackberry Creeks. From Hillsboro, 5 mi S on I-35, then 6 mi W on FM 310.
Aransas NWR The Aransas NWR occupies Blackjack Peninsula and nearby surrounding areas, and is located approximately 60 miles northeast of Corpus Christi, Texas. Grasslands, live oak and redbay thickets cover most of the uplands creating an island of habitat surrounded by thousands of acres of agricultural lands to the North and West, and saltwater bays to the South and East. The peninsula is ringed by tidal marshes and uplands are broken by long, narrow swales that are often flooded. Management is divided into five areas; brush country, grasslands, coastal prarie, marsh and tidal flats, and a wildlife interpretive area. Matagorda Island N.W.R. and State Natural Area, a 32 mile-long Gulf coast barrier island, is also included within the Aransas Complex and is cooperatively managed by the State of Texas, the Texas General Land Office and the U.S.F.W.S. Fifteen threatened or endangered species occur on the two refuges including the critically endangered whooping crane. Most of the refuge resources are dedicated to the recovery of the whooping crane and the management of its habitat, and public education and interpretation. Approximately 80,000 people visit the refuge each year, most of whom arrive seeking the abundant bird species for which the refuge is so well known.
