species, an increase from $1.1 million in the previous 2-year funding cycle. This unprecedented investment
is allowing the department and its partners to implement (1) a nearly 5-fold increase in the annual acreage of aquatic invasive plants treated, (2) expanded capacity to implement bio- controls such as weevils that eat giant salvinia, (3) enhanced early detection and containment of zebra mussels and other species, (4) strategies to control invasive riparian plants (e.g. saltcedar and giant reed) primarily in the Hill Country and along rivers in the northwestern plains, (5) critical research to better assess the environmental and economic impacts of aquatic invasive species, and (6) enhanced outreach and awareness campaigns to encourage Texans to do their part to help prevent the spread of invasive species such as giant salvinia and zebra mussels. The challenge of “scaling up” the scope and scale
Giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta) is a fl oating, rootless fern from Brazil that can take over an entire lake, making it unsuitable for fi sh and wildlife and unusable by humans. Photo by Larry D. Hodge, © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
of TPWD’s aquatic invasive species control efforts also brings an opportunity to further engage external or- ganizations as partners. Through new or expanded partnerships with universities, river authorities, munici- pal water districts, non-profi ts, local, state and federal agencies, local communities, and other partners, the agency is leveraging existing personnel, equipment and resources to deliver control and restoration projects more quickly and effi ciently. One major category of work is aquatic invasive plant
management, projects focused on management of aquatic invasive plants on public waters to enhance boater ac- cess for recreation, rapid response to new infestations, and management of riparian (riverside) invasive plants in target areas to improve water quality and quantity and habitat quality. Locations will include various lakes, reservoirs, bay-
ous and rivers across all areas of Texas. From projects to control giant salvinia on Lake Fork and hydrilla on the Guadalupe River, to treatment of giant reed on the Blanco and Rio Grande rivers, the projects span the state to tackle problem plants and slow their spread. Another category is research, with projects focused
on developing innovative new control strategies to contribute to an overall Integrated Pest Management strategy, and providing important monitoring and analy- sis of the impacts of invasive species regulations and management efforts.
tscra.org
Giant salvinia in Lake Fork. Photo by Kevin Storey, © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
These include projects with Stephen F. Austin Univer-
sity on the development of biocides for control of giant salvinia, Texas A&M AgriLife Research for technical assistance on establishment of native aquatic vegetation in Texas reservoirs to fi ll a niche that would otherwise be fi lled by invasive aquatic vegetation, Texas A&M University on the development of control strategies for invasive Suckermouth Catfi sh, Texas Tech University to implement surveys to document the range of Asian Carp in Texas to better target management and out- reach strategies and to zebra mussel ecology, impacts, and mitigation Last but not least are public outreach and education,
which enlist the help of citizens and are widely rec- ognized as the most effective tools for preventing the spread of invasive species. Numerous partnering river authorities and municipal water districts are working on zebra mussel and giant salvinia public awareness campaigns intended to prevent or slow the spread of these species to new water bodies. For more information on invasive species and a full
list of project participants and locations in Texas, visit
texasinvasives.org.
May 2016 The Cattleman 65
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