Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

There are two types of aquatic mussels in Texas: those that belong here, and those that don’t.

Texas parks and Wildlife aquatic habitat enhancement director Earl Chilton says native mussels indicate when rivers and lakes are healthy.

Native mussels often have pretty strict environmental requirements, and you can tell whether a system is healthy or not by the kind of native mussel population it has.

Invasive species like zebra mussels aren’t native to Texas. Because they have no natural competitors here, they reproduce quickly. And large numbers of zebra mussels can clog pipes and even kill native mussels.

Unlike native mussels, zebra mussels have byssal threads they use to attach to various objects. They also can attach to native mussels and when enough of them attach to a native mussel they can actually suffocate that mussel.

So how can you tell the difference between these good and bad mussels?

Zebra mussels are small and they’re going to attach to things. If you see a mussel attached to something it is a non-native mussel.

But native freshwater mussels don’t attach to anything. Now that you know the difference, you can find out how you can help stop the spread of zebra mussels and protect the native species at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration program supports our series… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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This is Passport to Texas

In summer when we can predict long days of heat and drought, but winter isn’t so predictable. So, when you plan a cool weather camping trip, it’s a little harder to know how to dress.

State Park Guide, and Passport style guru, Bryan Frazier, says to definitely pack a warm coat.

Just in case. You never know what the weather is going to exactly do. But, what you want to remember is, when you are in the out of doors, it’s probably smarter to start out with lots of thin layers. You’re talking about days that may have 30, 40, 50 degree temperatures swings from morning to evening. So, if you find yourself cook, in the morning, you may find yourself warm in the afternoon. So, take those layers that come off easily and comfortably. Wear comfortable clothes; moisture wicking clothes and t-shirts are very good to keep you dry, to keep you warmer. And also remember, even though it’s winter time, you want your sunscreen; you want your sunhat, especially here in Texas. We get a lot of reflective light when we’re out camping or out on the water. So, make sure you take that as well.

Thanks, Bryan.

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet…building dependable, reliable trucks for more than 90 years.

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

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This is Passport to Texas

Biologists have found Rio Grande silvery minnow eggs in Texas for the first time in over fifty years.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service started a restocking program two years ago. Those fish have now successfully spawned in the Big Bend region of the Rio Grande.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Jason Remshardt says the minnow is important because it tells biologists a lot about the environment it lives in.

The silvery minnow is just sort of an indicator of the river’s health itself. By showing that this fish can survive, it also documents that the river ecosystem itself is healthy, that the habitat for lots of birds and lots of fish is available.

Unfortunately, the minnow’s habitat has shrunk considerably from what it used to be.

Historically the minnow was found in the Rio Grande and the Pecos rivers in New Mexico and Texas all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. And they hadn’t been found in Texas or Big Bend since the 1950s.

Until now that is. Remshardt says finding the eggs is a step in the right direction, but it doesn’t guarantee success.

The next step is to find young fish and have those fish reproduce on their own. We have to document not just the fish that we stocked, but we have to document the survival and reproduction of several generations.

Rest assured, biologists will be checking up on those baby minnows frequently to make sure they’re doing Okay.

That’s our show… the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration program supports our series… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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This is Passport to Texas

It’s trout season in Texas. It’s when Texas Parks and Wildlife Inland Fisheries stocks hundreds of thousands of rainbow trout in lakes and neighborhood fishing ponds to provide a unique winter angling experience.

06—Trout are a cold water species and they like the cold water and they regularly bite at this time of the year.

Steve Magnelia is a fisheries biologist with inland fisheries. If you think Texans are the only ones enjoying this winter treat, you should know that Trout Unlimited named the Guadalupe River near Canyon Dam, one of the top 100 trout streams in North American.

10—One of the things I think that gets it into the top 100 is that you can come down here during the winter and enjoy trout fishing. And we get a lot of people from up north that come down to the Guadalupe during the winter months to fish.

And because the water in the river near the dam is cold—below 75 degrees —the fish often survive Texas summers; some of the rainbows can get big and feisty.

18—It’s one thing to catch the 8 to 10 inch fish that we stock every winter, but when you hook into a 4 or 5 pounder, it’s pretty exciting. It’s fun when you hook up with one and they jump out of the water like a tarpon, which they do. Those big ones like to jump and they’ll jump out of the water 4 or 5 times trying to throw your bait. It’s pretty neat.

Find other trout stocking location on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

The Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program… supports our series as well as conservation programs in Texas.

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

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This is Passport to Texas

We don’t have much in the way of native trout in Texas.

12—The only native trout that we’re aware of are maybe some Rio Grande cutthroat trout that were in the McKittrick Canyon area of the Guadalupe Mountains. Other than that, there are no native trout we know of in Texas.

Which is why, says Steve Magnelia, Parks and Wildlife stocks lakes and neighborhood ponds with rainbow trout every winter.

10—The winter trout program is to provide anglers with a different species to fish for during the winter months when our warm water fish like largemouth bass and other species aren’t readily biting.

Magnelia, an inland fisheries biologist, says because trout won’t survive in water warmer than 75-degrees, the rainbows anglers don’t reel in during winter perish as the water heats up—unless they are in the Guadalupe near Canyon Dam.

08—Because it’s a cold water discharge from Canyon Lake, the water stays cold enough during the summer to sustain trout all year round.

So, if they’ve habituated, does that mean they’ve become a self-sustaining population as well?

08—We don’t have any real evidence that the fish spawn and reproduce in the river, but we do know that they carry over from one winter to the next.

Find other trout stocking locations on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

The Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program… supports our series as well as conservation programs in Texas. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Fish/Wildlife: Rainbow Trout in Canyon Lake Play Now | Play in Popup | Download