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AUSTIN, Texas (KETK) — On Monday, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced the creation of its first Wildlife Management Area in two decades.

The new 6,900-acre property in Anderson County will be known as the Trinity River Wildlife Management Area. The Trinity River WMA is apart of the Middle Trinity River Ecosystem Project that protects over 38,000 acres of land in East Texas and this property adds 11.3 miles of Trinity River frontage.

“The establishment of the Trinity River WMA presents an opportunity for the conservation and management of an ecologically unique an important habitat,” TPWD Executive Director David Yoskowitz said. “Partnerships with organizations like the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Knobloch Family Foundation make historic land purchases like this possible.”

The reason the Trinity River needs restoration is the lack of trees which allows flood water to pick up more sediment causing erosion, according to Richland Creek Wildlife Area Manager Matt Symmank. When a forested area has more trees, water flows downstream at a slower pace. This lets existing soil stay in place and natural sediment deposition can occur. This restoration of the Trinity River forest floodplain creates more natural and healthy ecosystems.

The TWPD will also work with partners to fund habitat and prairie restoration that benefits many species including butterflies, shorebirds, waterfowl and more.

The late Jackie Gragg enjoyed looking at dogwood trees near the Gus Engeling WMA and she wanted her land to be managed and protected in a similar way. Gragg’s family, who owned the land that would become the Trinity River WMA, worked with TPWD staff to make her dream come alive. $10 million in Migratory Game Bird Stamp Funds were appropriated to TPWD for NWAs during the 88th legislation which helped protect the property.

“The 88th Legislature’s appropriation of Migratory Game Bird Stamp Funds has allowed TPWD to conserve more lands and bring greater access to even more Texans,” TPWD Wildlife Division Director Alan Cain said.

For more information about WMA’s managed by TPWD, visit: https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/wma/