Passport to Texas

Playa lakes attract waterfowl.

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This is Passport to Texas

Something that is ephemeral is random, and exists for a short time, such as the playa lakes in Texas’ High Plains.

On average, playas are only wet one out of every ten years. And as we go from one side of the panhandle to the other, from west to east, our rainfall totals increase. So, the likelihood of a playa being went increases as you go further east. On the western side of the panhandle, along the New Mexico border, it could be tens of years between wet spells for these playas.

Biologist Don Kahl says playas are the most direct link for rainfall to reach the Ogallala Aquifer. Yet, their importance goes further yet.

There’s numerous plant species that can be found [around playas] – upwards to 350 plant species. And up to a couple hundred different bird species can be found around playas. So, they’re very useful, especially in the high plains landscape.

Playa lakes are valuable to migrating waterfowl, too.

It’s a very productive area for waterfowl whenever we do have the rain. Our mid-winter surveys in 2017, which were conducted this past January, set an all-time high for our estimate of the number of ducks for the High Plains of Texas, at about 1.4 million ducks in the Panhandle. So, this past year was good evidence of just how productive it can be for waterfowl.

The Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Program supports our series and funds wildlife surveys throughout Texas.

That’s our show for today… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Playas are the most direct route for water to reach the Ogallala Aquifer.

Panhandle Playas and the Ogallala Aquifer Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

A playa lake is a natural landscape feature of the vast, flat expanse of the Great Plains and Texas High Plains.

Really, what it is, is a low spot where rainwater collects.

More than a mere low spot, Texas Parks and Wildlife biologist Don Kahl says Texas playas are ephemeral wetlands, and vital recharge points for the Ogallala Aquifer.

They’re really the most direct link between rainwater or rainfall to the Ogallala Aquifer below. The amount of water going into the aquifer is from 10 to 100 times greater in a playa basin as compared to surrounding soils or surrounding upland areas.

Kahl calls playas “self-contained watersheds”, each playa is the center collection point of runoff from surrounding uplands. Most playas only exist for a brief time after it rains. Clay soil lines the bottoms of these shallow basins permitting the rainwater and runoff to collect and slowly filter into the aquifer below.

In combination with a healthy playa, having a grass buffer around it helps to filter out sediments and some of the contaminants running off of neighboring fields. You also get a secondary cleaning with the clay layer in the basin, helping to filter out other contaminants and nitrates as the water passes down into the aquifer.

Recharge rates are slow, and it takes years for rainwater to pass from playas, through soil, and into the aquifer.

The Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration program supports our series and funds diverse conservation projects throughout Texas.

That’s our show for today… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Journalism students use mobile phones to tell stories about Texas state parks.

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This is Passport to Texas

Dale Blasingame uses cell phones in his mobile storytelling class.

This mobile storytelling class is one that I pitched because it marries my 2 loves which are technology and being outdoors.

Blasingame teaches journalism at Texas State. He brought his class to Garner State Park so they could combine their journalistic skills and phones’ cameras to tell stories.

They’re going to be working primarily with their phone, shooting on their phone and then editing on their phone as well. These skills are just how it’s done now. Texas Parks and Wildlife has said it needs help getting college-aged students into the parks. So that’s what a lot of our video projects are going to focus on.

Some stories were immediately uploaded to social media.

Hi, I’m Katy! And I’m Dy from the School of Journalism and Mass Comm. And we’re taking over the Texas State Snapchat.

Snapchat is a social media platform for sharing photos and videos.

So we’re going to be interviewing people and learning about their experiences with the outdoors. With Snapchat I don’t have to think too much and just kind of share what’s going on right now.

Watch them in action next week on a Texas Parks and Wildlife TV segment on PBS called Mobile Storytellers; check your local listings.

What I really like about mobile storytelling is that it’s a lot easier to stay connected to where you are and what you’re doing.

That’s our show… Funding provided in part by Ram Trucks. Guts. Glory. Ram

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti