On September 5, 2006 Governor Rick Perry announced the Trinity River Basin Environmental Restoration Initiative. The Trinity River, a 512-mile river that stretches from north of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex to Galveston Bay, and its natural resources are important assets to Texas. With more than 8.9 million residents, the river and its 1,983 miles of major tributaries drain an area of more than 11.5 million acres and supports water needs for 40 percent of the state's population. Many of these residents, urban and rural, depend on the river and its natural resources for maintaining quality of life and economic prosperity. Increased development and changes in land use, however, threaten water quality, groundwater availability, recreational opportunities and flood control of the basin.