Texas Parks and Wildlife Supports Brazos River Exhibit

Tom Harvey, 512-389-4453, tom.harvey@tpwd.texas.gov
Media Contact: Chris Richards, Science Spectrum, (806) 745-2525, icle__media__contact">Media Contact: Chris Richards, Science Spectrum, (806) 745-2525, ext. 243, chris@sciencespectrum.org

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LUBBOCK, Texas — A permanent, original exhibit called “The Brazos River Journey: Texas Alive!” at the Science Spectrum is made possible in part by a grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

The 6,000-square foot exhibit takes museum visitors on a virtual tour of the Brazos River from its headwaters northwest of Lubbock to its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico. With 19 aquatic tanks and 12 wildlife enclosures, the Brazos exhibit is the largest aquarium-centered facility between Fort Worth and Albuquerque. Science Spectrum employees report the exhibit attracts more than 200,000 visitors annually.

A partnership between TPWD, the City of Lubbock and the Science Spectrum made the exhibit possible. TPWD awarded a $750,000 local park indoor recreation grant in 2002 through a partnership with the City of Lubbock Parks and Recreation Department. The total project cost, including other grant sources, was near $2 million. The initial exhibit construction phase was finished in June 2003.

The exhibit includes a 12-foot wave tank, pictorial introductions to the river’s four main sections, an overview of a playa (shallow plains wetland/lake), reservoir and Gulf life, and tours with a video ranger.

TPWD local, regional, and statewide biologists consulted about exhibit content since 2000 during the design phases of the exhibition, including providing information for video ranger stations throughout exhibit. TPWD biologists and fish hatcheries and fisheries centers across the state have been involved in the collections and donations process of many of the wild fish and animals on display. The exhibit will eventually feature cultural kiosks that will include oral histories, music samples, and regional artwork, and a discovery dock and seating area for live animal demonstrations by the Science Spectrum staff. Contributions from local and state scientists, photographers and artists will give the exhibit a local flair.

The goal of the Brazos River Journey exhibit and the Science Spectrum is to provide visitors with a deeper understanding of the subtle magnificence of the Brazos River, the important ecosystem it supports, and the complexity of the relationships woven between the river and the diverse people of the state.

The Science Spectrum OMNI Theatre is located at 2579 S. Loop 289 in Lubbock,

TX. For more information call (806) 745-2525 or visit the museum Web site.

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