(music, flowing water)
>> WHAT MAKES A RIVER,
A RIVER?
IF YOU STOP AND LOOK,
IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS,
FLOWING WATER.
WITHOUT FRESH FLOWING WATER
A RIVER SIMPLY CEASES TO BE.
SMALL STREAMS FEED INTO CREEKS
WHICH JOIN OUR RIVERS,
ULTIMATELY THEY FLOW TO
THE COAST TO REJUVENATE
AND SUSTAIN THE BAYS.
THESE INSTREAM FLOWS FORM THE
MOST ELEMENTAL FOUNDATION
FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE.
>> INSTREAM FLOWS ARE REALLY
JUST THE VOLUME, THE TIMING,
AND THE FREQUENCY OF WATER
FLOWING IN A RIVER OR STREAM.
A RELATED TERM IS FRESH WATER
INFLOWS WHICH REFERS TO
FRESH WATER FLOWING INTO A BAY
AND ESTUARY SYSTEM AND THAT IS
ANOTHER FORM OF WHAT WE CALL
ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS.
COLLECTIVELY WE REFER TO
INSTREAM FLOWS AND FRESH WATER
INFLOWS AS ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS.
INSTREAM FLOWS FOR EXAMPLE,
BASICALLY PROVIDE THE HABITAT
FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE,
THE FISH THAT LIVE IN THE
STREAM AND THE WILDLIFE THAT
INHABITS THE AREA ADJACENT
TO THE STREAM.
IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE
THAT INSTREAM FLOWS ARE REALLY
CRITICAL TO MAINTAINING
GOOD WATER QUALITY.
>> CREEKS AND RIVERS ARE NOT
ONLY AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF
SURFACE WATER, THEY ALSO PLAY A
VITAL ROLE IN PROVIDING FRESH
WATER TO UNDERGROUND AQUIFERS.
>> AQUIFERS GET RECHARGED
PRIMARILY IN A COUPLE OF WAYS.
ONE IS BY THE DIRECT
INFILTRATION OF RAINFALL
ON THE GROUND AS WATER SOAKS
THROUGH THE SOILS AND GETS
INTO THE UNSATURATED ZONES
OF THESE AQUIFERS.
BUT THE CREEK BEDS THEMSELVES
PROVIDE THE BULK OF THE WATER
GETTING INTO THESE AQUIFERS.
THE CAVES AND SINKHOLES
EXPOSED IN THE CREEK BEDS OF
THESE AQUIFERS ACT LIKE BIG
BATHTUB DRAINS AND DRAIN HUGE
AMOUNTS OF WATER OUT OF THESE
SURFACE CREEKS AND POUR THAT
WATER STRAIGHT INTO THE
AQUIFER SO HAVING BASE FLOW
OR INSTREAM FLOWS INTO THESE
CREEKS AND RIVERS IS EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT FOR SOME OF
THESE AQUIFERS.
>> BIOLOGISTS KEEP A CLOSE EYE
ON THESE CAVES.
IF ONE GETS CLOGGED WHEN FLOWS
ARE UP, IT'S TIME TO GET DOWN
TO SOME HANDS ON AQUIFER
MANAGEMENT.
>> SOMETIMES IF THERE'S A LOT
OF DEBRIS ON IT OR THE WATER'S
KIND OF DEEP WE ACTUALLY GET
IN THE WATER WITH A MASK
AND SNORKEL AND START PULLING
THE STICKS AND LEAVES OFF THE
GRATE AND IT'S PRETTY DRAMATIC
SOMETIMES IF YOU JUST GET
THE RIGHT STICK OFF,
ALL OF A SUDDEN WATER JUST
STARTS SUCKING INTO THE FEATURE
YOU CAN FEEL IT,
BUT THEN AS ALL THAT
WATER STARTS POURING IN,
IT DISPLACES ALL THE AIR THAT'S
ACCUMULATED IN THE CAVERN
AND LOW AND BEHOLD IT LOOKS
LIKE A GEYSER IN THE CREEK BED,
IT'S PRETTY EXCITING TO SEE.
>> THE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE
DYNAMICS OF THESE FLOWS BECOMES
MORE IMPORTANT AS DEMANDS
INCREASE ON WATER RESOURCES.
IN 2001, THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE
PASSED SENATE BILL TWO.
PART OF THIS BILL DIRECTED
THREE STATE AGENCIES TO
COLLABORATE ON A COMPREHENSIVE
STUDY OF RIVER FLOWS.
>> THE TEXAS INSTREAM FLOW
PROGRAM IS AN INTERAGENCY
EFFORT.
WE HAVE SOME PARTNER AGENCIES,
PARKS AND WILDLIFE, THE TEXAS
COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL
QUALITY, AND THE TEXAS WATER
DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
WE ARE CHARGED WITH
DETERMINING FLOW CONDITIONS
NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN A SOUND
ECOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT IN
TEXAS RIVERS AND STREAMS.
WE SELECTED FIVE RIVER BASINS
TO BEGIN WITH.
THOSE INCLUDE THE SABINE RIVER,
DOWNSTREAM OF THE
TOLEDO BEND RESERVOIR;
THE MIDDLE TRINITY, BETWEEN
DALLAS AND LAKE LIVINGSTON;
THE BRAZOS RIVER,
BASICALLY DOWNSTREAM OF WACO;
AND THEN THE LOWER SAN ANTONIO;
AND ALSO THE GUADALUPE RIVER,
DOWNSTREAM OF CANYON LAKE.
>> OUT ON THE RIVER,
THE AGENCIES TEAM UP WITH LOCAL
RIVER AUTHORITIES TO CONDUCT AN
ARRAY OF SAMPLINGS AND TESTS.
>> WE'LL TAKE MEASUREMENTS
AT DIFFERENT FLOW RATES.
WELL THE WATER BOARD,
OUR SPECIALTY IS THE HYDROLOGY
AND THE HYDRAULICS.
AND SO WE DO HAVE THE
EQUIPMENT FOR THE ADCP LIKE
THIS FOR TAKING THE VELOCITY
AND DEPTH MEASUREMENTS.
SO THAT'S A GOOD DIVISION
OF THE LABOR.
>> I'VE GOT A WATER
QUALITY PROBE.
IT'S GOT SOME DIFFERENT
COMPONENTS ON IT.
YOU PUT IT IN THE WATER
AND IT TAKES A SERIES OF
MEASUREMENTS, FOR EXAMPLE
DISSOLVED OXYGEN WHICH IS
REALLY IMPORTANT TO THE FISH,
OTHER TYPES OF MEASUREMENTS
LIKE PH OF THE WATER,
THE TEMPERATURE OF THE WATER,
THE CONDUCTIVITY OF THE WATER.
>> PARKS AND WILDLIFE'S PRIMARY
ROLE IS TO COLLECT BIOLOGICAL
DATA INCLUDING FISH SAMPLING.
WE MAY DO SOME COLLECTION OF
THE INVERTEBRATES, THE BUGS
THAT LIVE IN THE RIVER.
WE'RE VERY INTERESTED IN THE
STATUS OF THE MUSSEL POPULATIONS
BECAUSE THEY'RE DIRECTLY TIED
TO THE LEVEL OF WATER
IN THE RIVER.
>> ANOTHER IMPORTANT ASPECT OF
THE STUDY SEEKS TO INCORPORATE
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND VALUES.
TO SOLICIT PUBLIC INPUT,
THE TEAM CONDUCTS STAKEHOLDER
MEETINGS AND WORKGROUPS
INVOLVING CITIZENS WITHIN
EACH RIVER BASIN.
>> AND I WOULD LIKE TO GET MORE
ACCESS TO THE RIVER THAT WAY
YOU COULD GET MORE INTEREST,
YOU MAY GET MORE FUNDING
FOR THE RIVER.
>> THE WATER WAS FIVE FOOT DEEP
THERE AND I REMEMBER AS A
SMALL KID, IT WAS 18, 20
FEET DEEP AT TIMES SO I DON'T
KNOW WHAT YOU COULD DO TO
GET MORE WATER INTO IT,
TO BRING THE BEAUTY BACK.
>> FELLAS, I'M 86 YEARS OLD.
I BEEN THERE, I KNOW.
OH, IT'S CHANGED AROUND
BUT IT WAS BEAUTIFUL HERE WHEN
I WAS A KID, 16, 17 YEARS OLD,
IT WAS A CLEAR AS IT COULD BE.
YOU COULD SEE THE BOTTOM OF IT
BUT YOU CAN'T DO IT NOW
AND THE RIVER AIN'T AS
BIG AS IT USED TO BE,
GOT LESS WATER.
WELL, I THINK IT'S THE
FOUNDATION OF THE WHOLE COUNTRY.
LOT A' PEOPLE, THAT'S THE
ONLY WATER THEY HAD WAS ON
THE RIVER WHEN WE FIRST BEGAN.
IT MEANS A WHOLE LOT TO THOSE
PEOPLE, IT STILL DOES.
>> THE INPUT WE GET FROM
STAKEHOLDERS AND THE PUBLIC
WILL BE USED TO HELP GUIDE US
IN OUR STUDY DESIGN.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IN
OUR STUDIES, TO THE EXTENT
THAT WE CAN, WE CAN ADDRESS
THE VALUES THAT THE PUBLIC
AND THE STAKEHOLDERS
FIND IMPORTANT.
>> BEING ABLE TO RUB SHOULDERS
WITH THE KIND OF EXPERTISE THAT
YOU FIND IN PARKS AND WILDLIFE
AND THE WATER BOARD,
THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT SHOW
UP AT THESE MEETINGS THAT ARE
WELL WORTH SPENDING TIME WITH,
EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH
THE TOPICS THAT THE LITTLE
WORK GROUPS GO OFF INTO.
MAYBE THERE'LL BE SOMETHING
MORE OUT OF THESE GROUPS
AS WE GO ALONG.
I SUSPECT NOT TO TELL
YOU THE TRUTH.
I THINK THAT THEY HAVE A QUOTA
OF STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT
THAT THEY HAVE TO DELIVER FOR
THEIR PROGRAM TO MEET THEIR
MANDATE FROM THE STATE
AND THEY'RE ACCOMPLISHING THAT
NOW BUT MAYBE IT'LL GO ON FROM
THERE, AND MAYBE I WILL BECOME
ENGAGED IN THE RIVER ON A
CONTINUAL BASIS AND INTEND TO
BE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER FROM NOW,
THAT'S WHY I'M INVOLVED,
I WANT TO BE INVOLVED
IN THE RIVER.
>> YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE ON A
STAKEHOLDER WORKGROUP TO BECOME
INVOLVED IN TEXAS RIVERS.
INVOLVEMENT TAKES
ON MANY FORMS.
ONE WAY IS TO SIMPLY
GET OUT ON A RIVER.
MORE AND MORE TEXANS ARE DOING
JUST THAT AND MORE TEXAS
PADDLING TRAILS ARE OPENING UP.
>> THE PADDLING TRAILS PROGRAM
STARTED IN THE MID '90'S WHEN
TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE STARTED
SEVEN COASTAL PADDLING TRAILS.
TWO YEARS AGO TEXAS PARKS &
WILDLIFE STARTED DOING SOME
INLAND PADDLING TRAILS SO WE
ARE NOW UP TO 14 PADDLING
TRAILS STATEWIDE WITH THREE
MORE SCHEDULED TO LAUNCH
BY THE END OF 2008.
>> ALTHOUGH THE DEPARTMENT HAS
WORKED WITH LANDOWNERS AND
COMMUNITIES TO OPEN 14 OF THESE,
THIS IS THE FIRST URBAN TRAIL
AND THE FIRST ONE ON A LAKE.
SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO GET
SOMETHING IN A LARGE URBAN
AREA LIKE DALLAS-FT. WORTH
WHERE WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY
TO PROMOTE THIS TYPE OF
RECREATION FOR FAMILIES
AND WE HOPE OTHER COMMUNITIES,
LARGE COMMUNITIES WILL FOLLOW
AND WE ANTICIPATE
THAT THEY WILL.
>> AS MORE PEOPLE EXPERIENCE A
PADDLING TRAIL AND GAIN AN
APPRECIATION OF BEING OUT
ON THE WATER, THEY MAY ALSO
GAIN AN AWARENESS OF WHAT
WATER IS WORTH.
>> I DON'T THINK PEOPLE
APPRECIATE WATER BECAUSE THEY
TURN ON THE FACETS AND GET A
DRINK OR COOK WITH.
WHEN YOU'RE ON THE WATER
AND YOU UNDERSTAND THAT'S A
RESOURCE THAT'S NOT GUARANTEED
TO BE THERE FOREVER.
THEN YOU START THINKING ABOUT
HOW YOU CAN HELP CONSERVE THE
WATER RESOURCE AND I THINK
AGAIN PEOPLE WILL UNDERSTAND
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT
WHEN YOU GET OUT THERE
AND START HAVING FUN.