RANCHING Wildlife
Zebra mussels on Lake Texoma. Photo by Earl Nottingham, © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Record Effort Ramps Up to Stop Exotic Invaders Threatening Texas Waters
T
HEY BLANKET WATERWAYS AND BLOCK BOATING, FISHING and swimming, crowd out native species, spoil rivers and lakes, and clog power plant and mu-
nicipal water pipes. They don’t belong here, yet more are coming all the time, spreading like a plague across the state. The good news: record funding approved by the Texas Legislature is launching new fronts in the war on aquatic invasive species. This year and next, the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department (TPWD) is ramping up an unprecedented effort to control and stop the spread of aquatic inva- sive plants and creatures. Exotic invaders are also aggressively spreading throughout nearby states and are knocking on the door of Texas; invaders such as exotic silver carp, bighead and silver/bighead hybrids are just entering Texas in parts of the Red River and a few other locations, primarily in northeast Texas. “It’s a huge challenge to address these problems
all across our state, and no one organization can do it alone — the scale of the problem is just staggering,” said Tim Birdsong, who leads aquatic resource conser- vation programs in TPWD’s Inland Fisheries Division. “We have had the knowledge and tools to attack the problem — now we have increased resources to expand control efforts and conduct research to fi ne-tune solu- tions. This will also make possible enhanced educa- tion and information-sharing, as we urgently need the help of boaters, riverside landowners, river authorities, water management districts and other partners to be successful.”
64 The Cattleman May 2016 Annual economic impacts of aquatic invasive species
are estimated at more than $140 billion nationally, and globally the impacts are believed to be more than $4 trillion. In Texas, the impacts are far-reaching, costing the state billions of dollars annually, including threat- ening to undermine a recreational freshwater fi shing industry worth more than $4 billion. The most troublesome aquatic invasive species in-
clude giant salvinia, water hyacinth, saltcedar, giant reed, and zebra mussels. Water hyacinth has been documented to consume as much as 13 times more water than native aquatic plants, contributing to water supply losses in a chronically drought-stricken state. Also, dense mats of fl oating aquatic invasive plants have blocked waterways, impeding boating access and water conveyance for agricultural irrigation and municipal drinking water. Furthermore, studies show aquatic plant infestations
in neighboring waters can cause waterfront property values to decline up to 19 percent. Zebra mussels have been shown to colonize and clog water intakes and other water infrastructure, resulting in costly and ongoing maintenance and repairs. That includes costs to retrofi t hydroelectric facilities in dams — costs that have been relayed to customers in the form of water and electric utility bill increases of up to 15 percent. Recognizing what’s at stake, lawmakers in the
last legislative session appropriated $6.6 million and 5 new employee positions for the 2016-2017 biennium to address statewide management of aquatic invasive
thecattlemanmagazine.com
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