An analysis utilizing both ArcGIS and ethnographic interviews from private land owners and environmental professionals examined how man-made landscape changes affected plant and tree species in the LBJ National Grasslands in Wise County, Texas north of Decatur. From the late 1800s to the Dust Bowl Era the land was used for crop production and cattle grazing resulting in erosion and loss of soil nutrients. The research indicated by 2001 that cattle grazing and population increase resulted in land disturbance within the administrative boundary of the national grasslands. Participants expressed concern over the population increase and expansion of 5 to 10 acre ranchettes for cattle grazing common in modern times. Recommendations for the future included utilizing and expanding the resources already existing with environmental professionals to continue controlling erosion.

The dataset was developed to support research intended to develop a spatially-explicit model that prioritizes riparian areas in terms of potential for ecosystem restoration specifically to improve water quality downstream of the riparian area, and ultimately improve drinking water quality. The model was developed and then tested on the Lewisville Lake watershed (north central Texas, just north of Dallas, Texas, USA). The dataset contains environmental data for 90 sub-watersheds that form the overall Lewisville Lake watershed with a corresponding identification map.