Increase boating access on targeted public waters of texas bycontrolling infestations of nuisance aquatic vegetation and to maintain waterwaysaquatic vegetation is an important component of most…

The U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service awarded the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) $666,667 under the Sport Fish Restoration program (CFDA 15.605) on September 1, 2025, for a performance period extending through August 31, 2027. This formula grant supports the control and management of nuisance aquatic vegetation infestations on targeted public waters throughout Texas to increase boating access and maintain viable aquatic ecosystems. The grant addresses the challenge of exotic aquatic plant species that colonize reservoir ecosystems at rapid rates, degrading aquatic habitats and limiting recreational opportunities for boaters and anglers.

The Sport Fish Restoration program, financed through excise taxes on fishing equipment and related maritime products, supports activities designed to restore, conserve, manage, and enhance sport fish populations while providing public access to aquatic recreational resources. Through this award, TPWD will implement aquatic vegetation management initiatives that balance the ecological importance of native aquatic plants—which provide habitat, refuge, and food sources for fish, invertebrates, and waterfowl—with the need to prevent excessive exotic vegetation growth that compromises both ecosystem function and recreational access across Texas' diverse water systems.

Increase boating access on targeted public waters of texas bycontrolling infestations of nuisance aquatic vegetation and to maintain waterwaysaquatic vegetation is an important component of most freshwater systems providinghabitat refuge and food for a variety of organisms including fish invertebrates andwaterfowl however excessive growth of aquatic vegetation can degrade aquatic ecosystemsand limit access for recreational boaters and anglers excessive growth of aquatic vegetationin texas waters often results from the introduction of exotic species that are able to rapidlyfill ecological niches created by disturbed or unstable habitats construction of reservoirsin texas dramatically changed the aquatic and terrestrial landscape of the state thesereservoirs have provided flood control water for agriculture and municipalities powerplant cooling areas for recreational use and fish and wildlife habitat however like mostdisturbed habitats many reservoir ecosystems have not developed stable aquatic plantcommunities when exotic species are introduced into these systems rates of colonizationcan be rapid and may reach nuisance levels before management actions can be takenbelow are descriptions of exotic aquatic plant species that have negatively impacted aquaticecosystems and limited user access in texas public waters