Neches River User Guide (Will and Pamela Nelson Harte Series on Water and the Environment, sponsored by The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, Texas State University)

The Neches River winds through a large portion of Texas’ scarce public lands, and Neches River User Guide, a project of the Texas Conservation Alliance, offers outdoor enthusiasts a menu of ways to enjoy this wild Texas river.

 

As users flip through this guide book, its user-friendly maps will reveal the towns, roads, entry points, bridges, public lands, parks, and other landmarks along nearly 360 miles of the river’s course. Each map details practical information about public access points, potential hazards, camping facilities, and GPS coordinates for points of interest.
 

The guide also includes a brief description of the archeology and history of human habitation along the river, as well as photographs of plants and animals common in the bottomland hardwood ecosystem. A final note on conservation efforts, past and present, will help readers join in protecting the river for future generations.

To learn more about The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, sponsors of this book's series, please click here.

GINA DONOVAN is executive director of the Houston Audubon Society. Co-founder of the East Texas Forest & Wildlife Coalition, she also served on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Rivers Conservation Advisory Board. She has canoed nearly 400 miles of the Neches River.

 

STEPHEN D. LANGE is a Regional GIS Specialist for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s Wildlife Division in Tyler, Texas. ADRIAN F. VAN DELLEN, DVM, is a retired United States Air Force pathologist and an avid canoer and nature photographer.

TEXAS CONSERVATION ALLIANCE is a forty year-old conservation organization that protects rivers, forests, wildlife, and other natural resources. The Allliance leads the initiative to have the Neches River designated as a National Wild and Scenic River.