Regional Highlights

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El Paso Wardens assist in flooding rescues, access to some state parks restricted (Region W)

In early August, El Paso experienced record flooding after 15 inches of rain fell over the course of a few days. Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Wardens were called in to help as the floodwaters rose. The wardens assisted other agencies in Hudspeth and El Paso counties with surveillance of rising floodwaters and they also patrolled areas that were inaccessible by other agencies. Wardens were on this duty from August 2 through August 6. They rescued five adults and five children as well as several pets.

Access to McKelligon Canyon in Franklin Mountains State Park has been cut off because the road is washed out. El Paso city officials are scrambling to repair damaged roads across the city, and it's not clear when repairs might begin near the park. Access to the Tom Mays unit in the park has also been affected and the road there has been cut in two different places. TxDOT will be working on that repair. All roads and trails within Franklin Mountains SP were affected and park staff will be busy making repairs.

At Magoffin Home, the floor of the gift shop flooded, but there was no serious damage to the structure or its contents. At the Wyler Aerial Tramway, six inches of mud inundated the parking lot. Cleanup there is largely completed and operations returned to normal.

To add insult to injury, yet another storm on August 15 caused further damage in Franklin Mountains SP. Due to debris on the roads, access to the Tom Mays Unit has been completely cut off and no public use is possible until the roads are cleared. Park staff will be working diligently to reopen the area as soon as possible.

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San Jacinto Monument project nearly finished (Region U)

Texas school children and other visitors will soon have access to the top of the monument again to enjoy the magnificent view from the observation deck. The monument elevator has been closed for repairs since September 2004 after a safety study concluded that a series of upgrades and repairs were necessary. The study showed that the monument, built in 1939, was not up to current building safety codes. In June 2005, $2.14 million was appropriated by the Texas Legislature for the repairs. Important components of the project included the installation of a sprinkler system, new fire alarm system, upgrade of elevator safety equipment, the creation of an "area of rescue" in case of fire on the Observation Floor, safety improvements upon the main stairway, and installation of fire-rated construction on the administrative floors and restoration of the plaster ceilings in the museum and lobby areas. The San Jacinto Museum Association and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department are collaborating on a grand opening event scheduled for September 7.

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Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo Celebrates 15 Years Oct. 7-8 (Region C)

America's largest free, family-oriented festival of the outdoors celebrates its 15 year anniversary at the Parks and Wildlife Headquarters in Austin on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 7-8. The annual event that began as a tribute to hunting's role in conservation in 1992 today includes fishing, shooting sports, state parks, Texas history, rock climbing, biking, birding, paddling and many other activities, all free to the public. (More info)

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Drought impact severe for area reservoirs (Regions W & V)

The current drought has affected most reservoirs in west and south Texas. Most reservoirs have seen water level declines between 3 to 11 feet in the last 12 months. These declines have offset water gains made in late 2004 and early 2005, which had resulted in improved fishing on many lakes. The current declining water levels have not had severe impacts on most reservoir fisheries at this time, but the decline will have negative impacts in the near future unless there is a break in the drought.

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Indian Lodge Restoration project completed (Region W)

Guests are once more enjoying Davis Mountains State Park from the comfort of the original CCC-built rooms at the historic Indian Lodge. On July 21, the first guests were booked into the painstakingly restored CCC portion of the Lodge. The 2-year, $3.2 million restoration, which was funded mostly with Proposition 8 bonds, included the renovation of the original rooms and furnishings and replacing the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. A formal grand reopening event will be scheduled for later this year.

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Goliad mission restored with Prop 8 Funds (Region C)

Visitors to the historic Mission Espíritu Santo State Historic Site at Goliad State Park are now able to enjoy the beauty of the recently restored interior decorative painting. The mission was originally built by Spanish priests in 1749 and reconstructed by the CCC in the 1930s. The two-year renovation project was completed this summer. In addition to the painting and much needed repairs to the interior walls, the chapel, granary, and weavers' workshop were reroofed (More info)

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Drought affecting access to Central Texas reservoirs (Region C)

Drought conditions are causing access problems in many Central Texas Reservoirs. Lakes Lavon, Buffalo Creek and Benbrook currently have no access because of low water levels. Some ramps are closed on lakes Grapevine, Lewisville and Travis and, if the drought continues, ramps will be closed on lakes Arlington, Bridgeport and Buchanan. Overall, the fisheries within central Texas reservoirs are doing fairly well with the exception of lakes Lavon and Buffalo Creek.

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East Texas drought report (Region E)

Severe drought conditions have plagued NE Texas over the past two years. Reservoirs to the south have experienced more spring and summer rainfall and are generally in better shape. Most reservoirs are 2 to 8 feet below normal pool and some lakes are experiencing significant boat access problems. Low water conditions have exacerbated vegetation problems (mainly hydrilla growth) in some areas of East Texas, further complicating access-related issues. Overall, we believe that fisheries will not be significantly impacted by these low lake level conditions. Many lakes have kept good amounts of habitat in the water (mainly aquatic vegetation) that will help protect juvenile fish that were spawned last spring. Fishing has been excellent in East Texas this year.

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Gus Engeling project nears completion (Region E)

Construction on the new recreation and education center at the Gus Engeling Wildlife Management (WMA) area will be complete in September 2006. The $700,000 conference and learning center will contain a conference/education room (with fireplace, computer access ports, and projection screen), restrooms and an exhibit/lobby/vending area. This center will get a lot of use by area schools and teachers who use the WMA as an outdoor classroom.

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Record Sea Turtle release marks Kemp's Ridley comeback (Region V)

Mexican and U.S. scientists on June 28 marked the recovery of the Kemp's Ridley sea turtle with the largest single-day turtle release since the binational recovery project began decades ago, helping close to 240,000 four-inch hatchlings wriggle across the sand and into the Gulf of Mexico. (More info)

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Lake Houston State Park transferred to City of Houston (Region U)

A special event celebrating the formal transfer of Lake Houston SP from TPWD to the City of Houston is scheduled at the park on August 25. The transfer involves 4,787 acres of land in Harris and Montgomery counties. TPWD will continue to work with the city in developing site development and resource management plans to ensure that the natural resource values of the park are preserved. Except for a small portion of the property located north of F.M. 1485, the property must continue to be used as a park. TPWD will continue to handle reservations for the park, at least for the near future.

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Corpus Christi hatchery project completed (Region U)

A final inspection of the improvement to the CCA - Marine Development Center in Corpus Christi took place on August 1. The $909,800 project was funded with Proposition 8 dollars and consists of a fish spawning building and a maintenance building. The structures are masonry and concrete construction designed for harsh saltwater environments and hurricane force wind loads.

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Caprock Canyon Visitor Center project to break ground (Region P)

Construction of a new Caprock Canyon Visitor Center will be underway soon. TPWD has received bids and groundbreaking will be scheduled in September. The new visitor center complex will include a reception area, offices, restrooms, gift shop and an exhibit area.

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Eagle Mountain Lake discussion continues (Region N)

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department continues to work closely with the Texas General Land Office (GLO), state and local elected officials and nonprofit partners to determine the best use of the department's 400-acre Eagle Mountain Lake State Park property in Tarrant County.

In discussions over the summer with with Rep. Charlie Geren, Sen. Kim Brimer and representatives from the GLO, conservation groups and others, TPW Commission Chairman Joseph Fitzsimons encouraged The Nature Conservancy of Texas and Trust for Public Land to help make possible a conservation transaction that would result in more access to outdoor recreation for Texans.

"My hope is to forge a coalition of interested parties and find a conservation solution so that rather than having one unopened property, the people of Texas would have access to two parks, one local and one state-managed," Fitzsimons said. "I believe the best outcome would be a locally operated day use park at the Eagle Mountain Lake property, possibly operated by Tarrant County or another local entity, and a large regional state park near the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex that would be consistent with our Land and Water Resources Conservation and Recreation Plan."

The department bought the tract on the northeast shore of Eagle Mountain Lake in 1980 for $3.9 million for the purpose of developing a state park. Since that time, funding constraints have prevented park development there.

In 2005, the GLO listed the site as an underutilized state property and Gov. Rick Perry's office authorized the land office to sell the property, but directed that revenue from the sale should go into the state's dedicated park fund to be used for state and local parks. The governor's office further directed that mineral rights under the property should remain with TPWD. State law requires that proceeds from the sale of state park land can only be used to acquire or improve property for the same purpose.

The department created its "land and water plan" in 2002 to provide long-term, strategic direction for natural and cultural resource conservation and recreation. The plan was an outgrowth of TPWD's last Sunset Review by the legislature in 1999. Senate Bill 305 in the 77th legislature directed the agency to inventory all Texas land and water resources associated with historic, natural, recreational and wildlife values. The bill further directed TPWD to analyze the state's existing and future land and water conservation and recreation needs, identify threatened resources and establish the relative priority of conserving resources listed in the inventory. One objective of the plan is to "acquire and develop a minimum of four, 5,000-acre or larger state parks near major urban centers of the state."

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