Category

Guadalupe Bass

Endemic to Texas and considered the official state fish, the Guadalupe Bass is found in clear, fast-flowing Hill Country streams. It was extirpated in some rivers due to hybridization with smallmouth bass introduced by Texas Parks and Wildlife, later reversed by massive releases of pure-bred Guadalupe bass. The fish does continue to face hydrologic threats from dams, low-water crossings, and overpumping of aquifers.

Interviews

Narrator: Tim BirdsongTitle: AccessDuration: 00:02:02Date: June 27, 2023Tim Birdsong, the Deputy Director of the Inland Fisheries Division at Texas Parks and Wildlife, has managed the Guadalupe Bass Restoration at the agency for over 14 years. He sees public access, use and appreciation of Texas streams as key to the Guadalupe Bass' recovery, and here discusses how the state is promoting public paddling trails, and put-in and take-out sites. Narrator: Tim BirdsongTitle: SongsDuration: 00:01:39Date: June 27, 2023Tim Birdsong, the deputy director of Inland Fisheries Division at Texas Parks and Wildlife, has managed the Guadalupe Bass Restoration Initiative for many years. He points out how popular songs show the deep love for Texas streams where the bass is found. Still, he sees little awareness of the poor condition of many of the state's creeks and rivers. He urges Texans to work harder to protect the Frio, Comal and other iconic streams to ensure the future of the Guadalupe bass and all its related natural heritage.Narrator: Gary GarrettTitle: State FishDuration: 00:03:10Date: June 28, 2023Dr. Gary Garrett is a research biologist at the University of Texas, and served as director of the Watershed Conservation Program at Texas Parks and Wildlife, where he worked for years on recovery of the Guadalupe bass. Here he recalls how young students managed to persuade the Texas Legislature to recognize the Guadalupe bass as the official state fish of Texas, unleashing state pride in a multi-year effort to save the bass from hybridization and hydrologic threats.