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1
Texas Surface Water Resources
15 major river basins
191,000 miles of rivers and streams
7 major estuaries
200 springs
6 million acres of bottomland hardwoods and
forested wetlands
2
Importance of Aquatic Ecosystems

• 191,000 miles of rivers and streams in Texas
  provide habitat for 255 species of fishes
• With over 150 species of native freshwater
  fishes, Texas ranks among the most biologically
  diverse states
• Texas ranks 2nd nationally in terms of angler
  days and the amount of money spent on fishing
• Sportfishing generates almost 6.4 billion per
  year

3
Threats to Aquatic Ecosystems

• At least five native Texas fishes are now extinct
  and three more are extirpated throughout the
  Texas portion of their range
• 20 of Texas fishes are threatened with
  extinction or extirpation from the Texas portion
  of their range
• With 31 state and federally-listed endangered
  aquatic animals, Texas ranks in the top five
  states for numbers of endangered aquatic species

4
Threats to Aquatic Ecosystems

• 29 watersheds in Texas identified as critical for
  conserving at-risk fish and mussel species
• Of 281 springs that were identified as
  historically significant, more than 80 have
  failed completely
• With over half of the states water needs
  satisfied by groundwater, a number of the states
  largest springs continue to be at risk
• Population of Texas predicted to double between
  the year 2000 and the year 2050.