Coastal Prairie Conservancy was established in 1992 to conserve Katy Prairie, part of the

Western Gulf coastal grasslands The Western Gulf coastal grasslands () are a tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands, subtropical grassland ecoregion of the southern United States and northeastern Mexico. It is known in Louisiana as the "Cajun Prairie", T ...

located in

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, United States. Approximately 24,500 acres is under conservation easements or owned by CPC in western Harris and Waller Counties.

Preserves

Nelson Farms Preserve

Nelson Farms Preserve encompasses more than 1,700 acres, of which 200 acres still operates as a working rice farm. Cypress Creek flows through the preserve and the combination of habitat types attracts waterfowl,

waterbirds A water bird, alternatively waterbird or aquatic bird, is a bird that lives on or around water. In some definitions, the term ''water bird'' is especially applied to birds in freshwater ecosystems, although others make no distinction from seabi ...

, migratory

songbird A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds (Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 5,00 ...

s, raptors, beaver, white-tailed deer and other wildlife.

Warren Ranch

Warren Ranch is one of the largest remaining working cattle ranches on the prairie.

Williams Prairie Preserve

Williams Prairie is a 10 acre prairie remnant where little bluestem, brownseed ''Paspalum'', and indiangrass grow.

Egret Egrets ( ) are herons, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same build ...

s and other

heron Herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 75 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genus ''Botaurus'' are referred to as bi ...

s reside in the depressions during the warmer months as long as they contain water.

Other protected areas on the Katy Prairie

West Side Airport Wetlands Mitigation Area

In 1986, the

City of Houston Houston ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the seat of Harris County, as well as the principal city of ...

purchased 1,432 acres for a potential future airport on Morton Road near the western edge of the Katy Prairie. During the expansion of this airport the a area was set aside to compensate migratory birds for the habitat destroyed by the airport.

John Paul Landing Park

John Paul Landing Park is a 865-acre public park operated by Harris County and located on Katy-Hockley Road and Sharp Road on the Katy Prairie. The project ncludes 400-acre lake as well as an environmental education center.

Paul D. Rushing Park

Paul D. Rushing Park is a 232-acre public park operated by Harris County, located at 9114 Katy Hockley Road on the Katy Prairie. This park includes a lake and wildlife viewing area.

Katy Park

Katy Park is a municipal park located inside the City of Katy.