Passport to Texas

Wildlife: Texas Mussel Watch Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Just as we’re physically weaker when we lose muscle, freshwater ecosystems weaken when they lose their
mussels.

14—They’re a very important part of the aquatic ecosystem. They’re the foundation. I like to call them the vacuum cleaners; their main diet is bacteria and other small particles. They’re the filtration systems of the rivers, lakes and ponds.

Texas Mussel Watch coordinator, Marsha May, says one species of Texas mussel is on the federal endangered species list. US Fish and Wildlife is considering listing additional species of freshwater mussels.

03—We’ll see what happens in the next three to five years.

You can help keep track of these important species as a member of Texas Mussel Watch.

24—Texas Mussel Watch is a program designed to get citizens involved in monitoring freshwater mussel species throughout the whole state of Texas. We hold workshops normally in the springtime. They can learn about freshwater mussels. Once they’ve gone through the workshop, they can be put on my
scientific permit, and then go out and monitor mussels within their own community and give us information on what they find, because it’s very important information.

Find information about mussel watch on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

That’s our show with support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program… funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motor boat fuel.

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

Wildlife: Mussels, Look but Don't Touch Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Texas is home to nearly fifty species of freshwater mussels.

07—They have just really fun names—like the Texas Pig Toe, and there’s the Louisiana Fat Mucket…

Texas Mussel Watch coordinator, Marsha May, says wherever there’s freshwater, you’re likely to find mussels.

08—The live in freshwater streams, lakes, ponds and even tanks. So you can find them pretty much anywhere in freshwater in Texas.

The only place you’ll have a hard time finding mussels is in deep east Texas where the water is too acidic for the mollusk to survive.

06—They prefer more alkaline water. They need to have that calcium in the water to help them build their shells.

Speaking of those shells…if come upon one with or without its occupant…Marsha May says leave it where you find it.

20—Freshwater mussels are protected. In order to handle the shells or live animals, you have to have some sort of license or permit. Either a fishing license, which you can handle any mussel greater than two and a half inches long for most species, and then, my Mussel Watch volunteers have a scientific permit so they can handle all species.

Learn about Mussel Watch tomorrow.

That’s our show with support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motor boat fuel…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m
Cecilia Nasti.

Wildlife: Freshwater Mussels Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Freshwater mussels—soft bodied organisms that live inside hard shells—are vital to Texas’ aquatic ecosystems.

03—They’re the foundation of the aquatic ecosystem.

Marsha May is Texas Mussel Watch coordinator, which is part of the Texas Nature Trackers program at Texas Parks and Wildlife.

14—I like to call them the vacuum cleaners of the system. Their main diet is bacteria and other small partials. They’re the filtration systems of the rivers lakes and ponds. So they have a very important role in cleaning that water.

Marsha says mussels are an indicator species—the aquatic equivalent of a canary in a coalmine.

09—They’re definitely a canary in a coalmine. You start losing these freshwater mussels, then you know something definitely detrimental is going on with that system.

We have lost some mussel species. Historically Texas has had more than fifty species of freshwater mussels, but today we’re down to 47.

22—We currently only have one species that’s federally listed as endangered, and that’s the Ouachita rock pocketbook. We’ve never found it alive in Texas; we’ve only found recently dead shells. So it goes on and off the Texas list. We have 11 species that US Fish and Wildlife is looking at possibly listing.

More on mussels tomorrow.

That’s our show with support from the SFWR program… funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motor boat fuel…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

The Drought and Rainbow Trout Stocking Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The plan: stock more than a quarter million rainbow trout in over 120 locations statewide through March. The challenge: the ongoing drought, which has caused…

07—A combination of low water that doesn’t cool and doesn’t get enough oxygen in it and a combination of access to those sites.

Carl Kittle, who oversees the trout program for inland fisheries, says those two factors will probably mean stocking fewer fish in fewer locations. He adds there are locations statewide able to sustain this winter fishery.

16—We do feel confident there will be some trout stocking. The large reservoirs with tail races, particularly the Guadalupe River coming out of Canyon, are looking good. And, we have a pretty good level of confidence those will be good places to stock trout this year.

Kittle says if inland fisheries is unable to stock all the sites it usually supplies with rainbow trout, then it will put more fish in locations that are suitable. Kittle’s best advice: monitor the website for the most up to date information on the stocking situation.

16—That’s what I would say: watch the website very closely this year. We will identify stockings that look safe; stockings that can’t happen or won’t happen. And those notifications may happen close to the time of stocking and they may change frequently depending on weather conditions.

Find the stocking report on the Texas parks and Wildlife website.

We receive support from the Sport Fish Restoration Program, which funds trout stocking programs in Texas…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Winter Rainbow Trout Stocking Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Winter is no time to put up those fishing poles. That’s because each December Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Inland Fisheries Division stocks rainbow trout statewide.

07—Rainbow trout are a cold water fish, so the winter is the only time that we really have water here that will support them.

Carl Kittle oversees the trout program for inland fisheries. The trout, farm raised in Missouri, arrive at Texas four hatcheries via tank truck.

20—And then we redistribute them from our hatcheries to each of the stocking locations. We have over 120 locations where we have stocked trout in Texas. And how many trout are we expecting to stock this year? Our plan would be to stock about 280-thousand trout. However, this year is unique because of the ongoing drought.

Ah, yes…that pesky drought. The agency may reduce the number of fish and locations it stocks based on how long the drought continues and on conditions going forward.

15—Two things that can happen are that the water level can be so low that there’s no way for fishermen to get at the water. Or, more common what we’re running into right now—is that we don’t have enough clear water in place in a pond to be cool and high in oxygen and support the trout.

But all is not lost. There will be rainbow trout stocked for your fishing pleasure. Learn more on tomorrow’s show.

We receive support from the Sport Fish Restoration Program, which funds trout stocking programs in Texas…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.