Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

Next time you are on the water, and decide to forgo wearing a life jacket, consider this:

About eighty-five percent of the drowning fatalities, a person is not wearing a life jacket—and that’s huge.

Brandi Bradford, state boater education coordinator, says wearing life jackets can save lives.

The law says that anyone under the age of thirteen must be wearing a life jacket while the boat is underway. We recommend that everyone does.

Boaters have reasons why they don’t like wearing life jackets, but those excuses don’t hold water.

People usually don’t like to wear them because they’re heavy, they’re bulky, they make you hot. You know, it’s a hundred degrees outside in Texas. There are actually new forms of life jackets. We have belt pack inflatables, over the shoulder (they look like little harnesses) inflatables. They’re real lightweight; they won’t mess up your tan, and they don’t get in your way when you’re driving around.

Life jackets are widely available at department and sporting goods stores. Find additional information about life jackets at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…we receive support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…working to increase hunting, shooting, fishing and boating opportunities in Texas.

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

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

Before you set foot on a boat this summer, learn the “rules of the road.”

We teach classes. They’re available online. They’re available in person.

Brandi Bradford, state boater education coordinator, says boater education information is even available as a home study course.

It’s required for those aged thirteen to seventeen, but we recommend it for any new boater—or even if you’ve been doing it for twenty years. There’s always something new out there.

With 500-thousand registered boaters in Texas, everyone who spends time on the water benefits when boaters know the rules.

We talk about rules of the road. Which way do you turn if somebody is coming right at you? Do you go right or left? The answer is go right. You might not have known that, and the other person might not know it, is the bigger deal. We teach you about how alcohol affects you on the water; it actually affects you three times more than it does on land. So, one beer on the water equals three on the land. We teach you about proper lighting to use on your boat, proper safety equipment to have on your boat…. And just what to expect when you’re out there.

One piece of safety equipment everyone should keep close is a personal flotation device. We’ll have more on that tomorrow.

That’s our show…we receive support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…reminding you that June first through eighth is National Fishing and Boating week…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Safe Boating: Know the Rules Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program

Small, relatively harmless, populations of golden algae exist in most freshwaters. Yet when conditions are right, as when temperatures cool, the population of this toxic organism may explode.

It could very well be that the cold knocks down the other competing algae so that then the golden algae has an advantage over them and blooms.

Dave Sager works with inland fisheries in the area of ecosystems and habitat assessment. He says golden tinged water with foam on the surface is a sign that a bloom is underway. Dead fish is another.

Initially, the fish that are in the shallows or at the surface of the water are impacted first. You’ll see the bait fish, the shad or minnows and shiners that will die first. And then later on as the bloom and the toxins spread through the water column you’ll see other fish like the sunfish, large mouth bass, striped bass and others starting to be affected.

Sager reminds freshwater anglers and boaters that they play an integral role as a kind of early warning system.

They can see when a fish kill event is taking place – see that the water is golden; there’s foaming on the water. And call in to let us know so that we can then go out and do an investigation.

You’ll find the number to call to report a golden alga bloom at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… made possible by the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…working to increase fishing, hunting, shooting and boating opportunities in Texas. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Know & Report Golden Algae Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program

Small, relatively harmless, populations of golden algae exist in most freshwaters. Yet when conditions are right, as when temperatures cool, the population of this toxic organism may explode.

It could very well be that the cold knocks down the other competing algae so that then the golden algae has an advantage over them and blooms.

Dave Sager works with inland fisheries in the area of ecosystems and habitat assessment. He says golden tinged water with foam on the surface is a sign that a bloom is underway. Dead fish is another.

Initially, the fish that are in the shallows or at the surface of the water are impacted first. You’ll see the bait fish, the shad or minnows and shiners that will die first. And then later on as the bloom and the toxins spread through the water column you’ll see other fish like the sunfish, large mouth bass, striped bass and others starting to be affected.

Sager reminds freshwater anglers and boaters that they play an integral role as a kind of early warning system.

They can see when a fish kill event is taking place – see that the water is golden; there’s foaming on the water. And call in to let us know so that we can then go out and do an investigation.

You’ll find the number to call to report a golden alga bloom at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… made possible by the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…working to increase fishing, hunting, shooting and boating opportunities in Texas. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Know & Report Golden Algae Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

On November 3rd, the city of Bastrop launched a new paddling trail with the help of Texas Parks and Wildlife.

I think that this trail is just a great half day trip for families and friends and people who just want to get out on the water.

Shelly Plante is the coordinator for Nature Tourism at Parks and Wildlife

This paddling trail, El Camino Real, starts off in downtown but goes through the piney woods as you head to the take out point. So you’re going to see something very different for Central Texas. This is just not the type of trees that you typically see in Central Texas.

The El Camino Real Paddling Trail is a 6 mile paddle.

This trail is actually fairly slow moving, fairly calm. There are a few minor rapids. There are a lot of great sandbars where you can take out and picnic, you can go swim and rest for a while. It’s a fairly leisurely run actually.

Although the trail starts in downtown Bastrop, paddlers will see a variety of wildlife.

There’s a lot of diversity. You’ll see a lot of different kinds of trees and there’s a lot of different birds. You’ll see everything from raptors like hawks, to king fishers, little bitty birds, to some of our large birds such as great blue herons.

More information about the El Camino Real Paddling Trail and the other 10 paddling trails in Texas is available at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…with research and writing help from Kate Lipinski… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

El Camino Real Paddling Trail Play Now | Play in Popup | Download