Texas Surface Water Resources 5/12/2018 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

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

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

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 state’s water needs satisfied by groundwater, a number of the state’s largest springs continue to be at risk Population of Texas predicted to double between the year 2000 and the year 2050.