ATHENS, Texas—When the Texas Legislature named the Guadalupe bass the state fish of Texas in 1989, it did so because of the fish’s distinctive nature. Found nowhere else in the world outside the San Antonio, Guadalupe, Colorado and Brazos river systems, the Guadalupe bass exemplifies the qualities and resources of the Texas Hill Country. Ironically, the same conditions that developed the Guadalupe bass also made it vulnerable to change. Two main factors have led to a decline in the number of Guadalupe bass: habitat loss and hybridization with introduced smallmouth bass. The latter has been by far the more serious. “These fish lived so totally separated from each other that they never developed mechanisms to avoid hybridization,” said Gary Garrett, Ph.D., a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department fisheries biologist who has studied the problem for the last decade at TPWD’s Heart of the Hills Fisheries Science Center near Ingram. Following the stocking of smallmouth bass into Hill Country streams beginning in 1974, scientists began finding hybrids resulting from interbreeding between the two species. “We didn’t know it was going to happen,” Garrett said. “We became concerned, and I took on research into the problem as part of my job in the mid-1980s. We did a wide-range survey and found the problem was more serious than we thought. About 30 to 40 percent of the fish were already hybridized.” “As soon as we found out hybridization was occurring, we began moving to try and reverse the process,” said Phil Durocher, director of TPWD’s Inland Fisheries Division. “The first thing we did was prohibit any further stocking of smallmouth bass into the native range of the Guadalupe bass to make sure things didn’t get worse. Secondly, we began looking at producing and stocking Guadalupe bass to reverse what had already occurred. Dr. Garrett has led those efforts.” TPWD biologists decided the best approach was to fight fire with fire by stocking Guadalupe bass in such numbers that their offspring would overwhelm the hybrids. That approach presented its own difficulties. “First we had to figure out how to raise a riverine fish adapted to living in fast-flowing streams in a hatchery environment,” Garrett recalled. “A muddy bottom and still water didn’t work. Our hatchery expert, Bobby Wienecke, came up with a modified nesting box we called Guadalupe bass condos. His idea was that the fish wanted to be shaded, since they tend to hang around cover such as large rocks, cypress roots and stumps in the wild. So he built boxes with screened bottoms, filled them with gravel and put a roof over them supported by two posts. The fish took to them immediately.” TPWD began stocking hatchery-raised Guadalupe bass in 1992. Luckily, the ideal test site ran right by Heart Of The Hills: Johnson Creek. Hybrid bass had spread from the Guadalupe River up into the lower reaches of the creek, but none had yet penetrated far upstream. “We found that for the first five or six years, we didn’t seem to be having much of an impact,” Garrett said. “What was happening was that we were pouring large numbers of fish into the creek, and they were moving out into the river. That diluted the effect in the creek, but it spread it over a much larger area, and it took longer to have an effect than we anticipated.” In retrospect, Garrett says, nature was pointing the way to success. “If we had been stocking Guadalupe bass into all arms of the river all along, we would be much farther down the road than we are now.” Stocking the main stem of the river and its north and south arms, however, would require more fish than Heart Of The Hills could produce. “Tripling the number of Guadalupe bass produced would put a strain on the hatchery system,” Garrett said. “Fortunately, in the last two or three years a number of things have happened that now make it possible. A cooperative effort by TPWD, the Upper Guadalupe River Authority, Hill Country Fly Fishers, Southern Council of Fly Fishers, Texas Association of Bass Clubs, the Federation of Fly Fishers and the Kerrville Convention and Visitors Bureau will enable us to stock up to 225,000 Guadalupe bass fingerlings each year for the next five years.” One other piece of the puzzle that fell into place was the availability of pond space at the federal fish hatchery in Uvalde. “The Upper Guadalupe River Authority is seeking grant funds to pay for the fish from the federal hatchery,” Garrett explained. “Our department will continue to produce 75,000 fish each year, and the grant will purchase 150,000 annually from the federal hatchery. Thus there is no increase in cost to TPWD.” “This program is important to us, and we want to thank everybody who is helping,” Durocher said. Garrett looks forward to the day when Guadalupe bass once again reign supreme in the Hill Country streams that gave them life. “I expect we will be able to reduce hybridization to near zero if not zero,” he said. “It’s going to be very hard to do, but we’re not going to walk away from this. If we can get the rate of hybridization to near zero, I think nature can finish the job from there.” In yet one more twist, the same traits that let the Guadalupe bass develop, and made it vulnerable to hybridization, will ultimately prove to be its salvation. “These fish are adapted to whatever it is that makes Hill Country streams unique,” Garrett said. “They are able to out-compete other species, including the hybrids. Once we get the situation stabilized, these fishes’ special characteristics will let them hold their ground.” Although they never get very large—the state and world record is 3.69 pounds—Guadalupe bass are a popular sport fish. Fishing for these agile, scrappy fish in fast-flowing waters is said to be similar to fishing for trout in mountain streams. Anyone who has ever fished for Guadalupe bass in scenic Hill Country streams that remain the most pristine rivers in Texas can appreciate one other quality of the fish. “One of the nicest things about Guadalupe bass is you can’t catch one in an ugly place,” Garrett said. “That alone makes them worth saving.”

AUSTIN, Texas — “Protect Rivers to Conserve Bays” is the theme for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s upcoming Coastal Expo events. “Rivers are the lifeblood of Texas bays. They protect and nourish the plants and animals that create ecologically healthy and economically beneficial estuaries,” says Larry McKinney, Ph.D. and Coastal Fisheries Division Director at TPWD. At Coastal Expos, visitors interact with crabs, fish, and other coastal animals while learning about freshwater inflows, coastal conservation issues and beach habitats. The expos will be held in Marble Falls and Edinburg. Admission is free. Activities include touch tanks with a wide variety of live coastal animals such as sea urchins, sea squirts, crabs. At the glass-bottom stream, visitors will learn about animals’ natural habitats and how bugs can indicate pollution levels in water. Participants will also have an opportunity to solve a mysterious fish kill, paint images of coastal fish, identify beach objects by touch, and learn about fishing, boating safety, and other coastal issues through a variety of fun and educational devices. TPWD is partnering with Lower Colorado River Authority for the Marble Falls event. The World Birding Center-Edinburg and the City of Edinburg are partnering to bring Coastal Expo to Edinburg. TPWD Department divisions that contribute their time and staff include: Coastal Fisheries, State Parks, Communications, Wildlife, Inland Fisheries, and Law Enforcement. Local volunteers are needed and will be given a short training class the day of each event. No previous experience is necessary. Volunteers will receive a free t-shirt. Coastal Expo details are as follows: * Marble Falls — March 11-12 at Johnson Park from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. Those interested in volunteering should contact Frank Falkstein at (512) 397- 6718 or frank.falkstein@lcra.org. * Edinburg — March 16-17 at Edinburg Municipal Park from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a Friday evening event from 6-10 p.m. Those interested in volunteering should contact Kris Shipman at (956) 381-9922 or moliva@edinburgwbc.com.

AUSTIN, Texas – Walter Cronkite has narrated a one-hour video program about Texas water resources, which will air Feb. 3 on all Texas public television stations. “Texas: the State of Water—Finding a Balance” explores what’s at stake in the struggle to provide enough clean water for wildlife and the environment, cities, industry and agriculture. “I’m afraid that many Texans presume that there will always be plenty of water for all of our needs, but it’s important for all of us to take a closer look now,” said Robert L. Cook, executive director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which is producing the program. “Even if you’re not an angler or boater or have no connection with water resource development, this issue affects every single Texan,” Cook said. “There is still time to plan for a future with enough water for people and fish and wildlife. But we need to act responsibly now.” For the second time, the Emmy Award-winning television series “Texas Parks & Wildlife” is teaming with the state’s 13 PBS affiliates to broadcast original programming in prime-time on one night. The series’ first one-hour program about water resources, a partnership venture with KERA-TV in Dallas, aired May 29, 2003. “The greatness of Texas, its future, its well-being and its prosperity depend on its people understanding the vital role played by the wise and equitable distribution of its water supply,” said Cronkite, who donated his services to the program project. Cronkite, 88, was born in Missouri but moved to Texas as a boy and grew up in the Houston area. He still has family in the Austin area and returns to visit frequently. He was anchorman and managing editor of the CBS Evening News for 19 years, until 1981. He is still a special correspondent for CBS News, but now also co-owns the Cronkite Ward Company in New York, which produces programs for The Discovery Channel, PBS and other outlets. Cronkite recorded narration for the program at the “Texas Parks & Wildlife” TV series production studio while in Austin in November. The weekly half-hour series runs on PBS stations in Texas and some other states. Topics explored in the program include the controversial “rule of capture,” an overview of agencies and laws that regulate surface water and groundwater, river instream flows, water lawsuits, controversies involving environmental river flow permits, how water use affects endangered species and other aquatic life, water rights permitting, proposed reservoirs, water as a commodity, interbasin water transfers from one river basin to another, and how river inflows affect the ecological health of bays and estuaries. The program concludes with what people can do to help, including ways to conserve water, enhance groundwater recharge and retention, improve housing developments, and get involved as volunteers. The program is part of a broader TPWD public information initiative that began in July 2002 with the first of an annual series of special issues of the Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine devoted to water issues. The July 2005 special issue will focus on groundwater, in which some of the best writers in the state along with TPWD experts, will help explain what groundwater is, how it works, and why readers should care. The overall communications initiative also includes using the TPWD radio series, Web site and other media to get messages out there. The “Texas: the State of Water” 2005 communications initiative is funded in part by underwriting sponsor The Boone Pickens Foundation, A Communities Foundation of Texas Fund, patron sponsor Brazos Mutual Funds and supporting sponsors San Antonio River Authority, Brazos River Authority and Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority. The following stations (and cities they cover) will broadcast “Texas: the State of Water—Finding a Balance” in the listed cities on Feb. 3. Unless otherwise indicated below, stations will air the program from 8-9 p.m. Central Standard Time. * KERA: Abilene, Dallas, Denton, Fort Worth, Longview, Lufkin, Marshall, Nacogdoches, Paris, San Angelo, Sherman, Texarkana, Tyler, Wichita Falls. * KUHT: Beaumont, Galveston, Houston, Port Arthur, Texas City, Victoria. * KLRN: Kerrville, Laredo, San Antonio. * KMBH: Brownsville, Harlingen, McAllen, Mission. * KWBU: Waco. * KOCV: Midland, Odessa. * KNCT: Killeen, Temple. * KCOS: El Paso (8 p.m. Mountain Time). * KTXT: Lubbock * KACV: Amarillo * KLRU: Austin * KEDT: Corpus Christi * KAMU: Bryan, College Station

When It Rains, It Pours — Texas’ natural resources showed their potential in 2004, thanks to higher than normal rainfall across most of the state. The abundance of water created lush habitat conditions, setting the stage for near-record production among many wildlife species, particularly quail and deer. While hunters were enjoying the rewards of a bountiful season, anglers and park visitors saw newfound opportunities as rivers and streams flowed again and lakes, like Falcon, returned to normal levels. Rare Species Rebound — Several high-profile species of concern passed milestones in 2004, including record highs for whooping cranes and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles. This winter, the world’s last natural wild population of whooping cranes flew past the 200 mark, a landmark event for an endangered bird species that has come back from the brink of extinction during the past six decades. Throughout the summer of 2004, the world’s most endangered sea turtle returned to nest on Texas beaches in record numbers. Forty-one Kemp’s ridley nests were reported. Also encouraging was the change in status of the black-tailed prairie dog, which was removed from the candidate list of species considered for threatened status under the Endangered Species Act. Producing and Paying for Fish — The process to build and finance a new state fish hatchery got under way in 2004, with Jasper getting the nod as the site for the facility. To help pay for the new hatchery, the Texas Legislature created a Freshwater Fishing Stamp, providing the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department with an opportunity to reposition its suite of hunting and fishing licenses. The agency eliminated requirements for several specialty stamps and created license packages that better reflect a user-pay, user-benefit philosophy. Also making a big "splash" in a state fish hatchery this year was the donation of a new state record blue catfish to the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. The 121-pound behemoth was transported alive to the TFFC where it continues to be on display to the public in the facility’s aquarium. New State Parks Pass Proves Popular — More than 50,000 state park fans have purchased the new Texas State Parks Pass that went on sale Jan. 1. The new annual pass is similar in appearance to a credit card and is designed to be easier to use. The Texas State Parks Pass costs $60 for one card and $75 for a two card family membership. It replaced the gold Texas Conservation Passport. The new pass provides free entry to all state parks and historic sites for members and their guests, camping discounts and "extra perks." Birds Take Center Stage — The long-awaited debut in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of the $7 million World Birding Center drew dignitaries from state and local governmental entities and interested ‚birders‛ to the Oct. 23-24 grand opening. The WBC headquarters in Mission becomes the second of eight sites to open along the Texas-Mexico border from Roma to South Padre Island. Another first in the Texas birding community also came along in 2004 with the inclusion of a blind and visually-impaired birding category in the 8th annual Great Texas Birding Classic’s team competition, which was held in April along the central and upper Texas coast. The groups identify birds by sound instead of sight. The España Tweetybirds beat out two other teams in the category by identifying 40 species. A Texas birding team and a team of young birders from Illinois, Maryland, Michigan and New York tied for first, identifying 359 bird species. A total of 56 teams competed. Winning teams were awarded a total of $51,000 that they then donated to fund Texas coastal conservation habitat projects to benefit birds and birders. Golden Alga Spreads — A naturally-occurring toxin that has become deadly to fish in North and Central Texas expanded its range in 2004, hitting Lake Texoma, one of the states’ biggest lakes, and spreading into Oklahoma. Resource conservation agencies from Texas and Oklahoma are now combining efforts to research and monitor golden alga there. Since 2001, golden alga fish kills have occurred at two dozen reservoirs in Texas. Bighorn Sheep Hunt Giveaway Signals Species Comeback — Coincidentally, a pair of firefighters from different parts of the state were selected in a drawing of all licensed hunters in Texas to receive a complimentary desert bighorn sheep hunt. TPWD sheep census surveys in 2004 indicated record-high populations of desert bighorns and, in a gesture of appreciation to hunters whose license dollars have helped restore this majestic big game animal, the agency decided to give two hunts away. Justice Served for Nature — A decades old legal dispute was finally resolved bya mitigation settlement. The case stemmed from mercury discharge into Lavaca Bay by Alcoa and a sister company. Alcoa has already spent $40 million and will spend another $11 million for remaining cleanup. The company will also compensate the public for lost ecological and recreational resources, including adding land to a national wildlife refuge, restoring marshes, creating a new oyster reef and funding a series of fishing piers and boat docks around the bay. Earlier in the year, four individuals who wounded and killed several state-protected trumpeter swans were brought to justice after an extensive and exhausting investigation by state game wardens. Three of the five swans, which are a protected migratory non-game species, died and the other two are being cared for at an Iowa rehabilitation facility. The poachers involved pled guilty to 20 various game law violations and were assessed more than $17,000 in fines and related costs. San Jacinto Battleground Artifacts Uncovered — An unprecedented archeological project under way at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site near LaPorte led to the discovery of dozens of battle artifacts such as musket balls, belt buckles and Mexican coins. A display of some of the discoveries, which already are shedding new light on the decisive 1836 battle that led to Texas’ independence from Mexico, highlighted the annual San Jacinto Symposium held at the University of Houston April 23. The archeological project is the precursor to the implementation of the first part of a $47 million master plan for the park, which calls for restoring the battleground to its 1836 appearance, a new Visitor’s Center and Museum, among other improvements.