Water Resource Issues

Healthy aquatic ecosystems provide three different benefits, in addition to their intrinsic value.

One: Healthy aquatic ecosystems assimilate waste and pollution, moderate flooding and buffer the environment.

Two: Healthy aquatic ecosystems are key to healthy terrestrial ecosystems.

Three: Economic impact of sportfishing in Texas is 6.4 billion dollars. Leaders in sportfishing are California, Texas and Florida.

All we have to do to enjoy those benefits is to conserve water to keep our ecosystems healthy.

Wetlands loss in the USA is 50%; Texas wetlands loss is 52%.

70% of all U.S. riparian corridors have been destroyed; in Texas, it's 60%.

40% of all U.S. rivers, lakes, and estuaries are not clean enough for basis uses like swimming or fishing; in Texas, it's 34%.

The Aral Sea from outer space

The Aral Sea closer up

The Soviet water plan is to create one million acres of agricultural land from the desert.

The Aral Sea today

Soviet kids: One will die before adulthood; three will have chronic respiratory disease.

Fishing at night