Texas contains 191228 miles of streams creeks and rivers including 40194 miles ofperennially flowing waters the state maintains public navigability laws that ensure therights of paddlers anglers and…

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has been awarded a $560,000 Formula Grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service under the Sport Fish Restoration program (CFDA 15.605). This grant, awarded on September 1, 2024, with a performance period through August 31, 2027, will support TPWD's efforts to restore, conserve, manage, and enhance sport fish populations and public access to recreational fishing opportunities across Texas.

The grant funding will enable TPWD to undertake a range of activities, including fish population assessments, habitat restoration, hatchery operations, boating access infrastructure improvements, aquatic research, and public education programs. These initiatives are designed to promote the long-term sustainability of sport fisheries and expand public access to recreational fishing resources throughout the state. As a key state agency responsible for natural resource management, TPWD will collaborate with academic partners to leverage scientific expertise and enhance the research outcomes of this grant-funded project.

Texas contains 191228 miles of streams creeks and rivers including 40194 miles ofperennially flowing waters the state maintains public navigability laws that ensure therights of paddlers anglers and other river recreationists to wade paddle or float manytexas rivers however private ownership of riverbanks significantly inhibits public riveraccess the preponderance of privately owned river banks reflects general land ownershiptrends in texas a state where less than five percent of the landscape is in public ownershipdespite the opportunities afforded by the texas paddling trails program public river accesscontinues to be limited because of the nature of land ownership in the state however texaslandowners recently became part of the solution for expanding boater and angler access totexas rivers