Archive for February 24th, 2011

Water Access in Texas, 1

Thursday, February 24th, 2011

This is Passport to Texas

Making it easier for you to enjoy the wide open spaces is a big part of our job at Parks and Wildlife, and we take it seriously. You like spending time on the water, so we’ve made it our business to locate and document public water access points across the state.

15—What we tried to do is characterize these access points, because there are many different uses—whether you’re going to try to swim there, fish there, what you can launch there. Are they accessible during low water events, high water events? All kinds of different things.

Ron Smith is the River Information Specialist for the state of Texas.

30—About seven years ago we started trying to get a database together on where is the public water access in the state of Texas. And what we ended up with is the database that contains about 24-hundred public water access sites. About 18-hundred of those are boat ramps located all over the state, and about 500 of them are on the rivers, and may not be boat ramps; they’re just places to slide your canoe in, or get in with our inner tube. You wouldn’t be able to launch a “trailerable” boat at those locations.

Ninety-five percent of Texas land is in private hands, making these pubic access points all the more valuable. Tomorrow: collecting the information.

03—We actually held trainings to train them how to take the data.

That’s our show… with support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration program…providing funding for boat ramps in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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If you have a question about water access points near you, contact Ron Smith at 512-389-8302.