The Preserve at the East End Lagoon

Explore the East End Lagoon! 

Notable Resources for the Nature Trail!
Audubon Society : https://www.audubon.org/#

Donate to the East End Lagoon Nature Park and Preserve : http://www.eastendlagoon.org/support

The Preserve at the East End Lagoon
"It is a curious situation that the sea, from which life first arose, should now be threatened by the activities of one form of that life. But the sea, though changed in a sinister way, will continue to exist: the threat is rather to life itself"  Rachel Carson

Galveston is a 27-mile long spit of land wedged between the Gulf of Mexico and the upper Texas coast. at its highest natural elevation, Galveston is 7 feet above sea level. The incorporated area of the City of Galveston is 80% water. 

The East End Lagoon Nature Preserve, situated at the eastern end of the island, is a microcosm of the island as a whole. The 685-acre Preserve includes the East End Lagoon. The Lagoon is a slender finger of water that is bordered by several zones of land that are defined by elevation (measured by inches!), tides, and salinity. Although the Preserve is almost entirely wet, the slight variations of elevation can determine what can grow and, by extension, the wildlife that can inhabit each zone. 

To see the greatest diversity of plants and animals at the Preserve, you will need to visit a cross-section of these zones and habitats. The East End Lagoon Nature Trail snakes through  upland habitat, and offers easy access to the lower marshes that border the trail. You will need a canoe or kayak to access the Lagoon as a whole. There are several access points around the Lagoon where you can walk to the shore. 

East End Lagoon
The waters of the Lagoon vary in salinity based on the rainwater runoff. Since the Lagoon is connected to the Gulf, saltwater regularly enters the lagoon with high tides. However, freshwater also drains into the lagoon, and therefore the salinity of the lagoon can vary day-to-day. These brackish waters are perfect for a diversity of sea life, especially juvenile fish, crabs, and oysters.

Pimple Mounds
Pimple Mounds dot the preserve but are easy to overlook. These mounds are often small(usually only a few feet in diameter) and slightly elevated (a foot or less). The large pimple mounds are covered by shrubs like wax myrtle (morella cerifera) and yaupon (Ilex vomitoria) . These trees and shrubs are used by a variety of birds such as herons and egrets for roosts. 

Salt Marsh
Virtually all of the land within the preserve is salt marsh. There are several types of salt marsh around the Lagoon, including low salt marsh that is dominated by smooth cordgrass. Other habitats in this zone include high salt marsh, salt pannes, and algal flats. Many species such as the Seaside Sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus) are only found in salt marsh.