Assessment and Monitoring of Newly Established Public River Access and Conservation Areas

Public river access in Texas is limited, therefore, the River Access and Conservation Area Program was developed to expand access to rivers via private lands through long-term lease agreements between state agencies and landowners. Understanding potential biological impacts to newly accessible river segments and estimates of how the public is using these sites, is critical. The objectives of this study are to develop protocols for conducting baseline assessments and monitoring of riparian habitats, biological resources, and public use at newly acquired public access lease sites, and to use the results from these surveys to determine the best management practices to apply to both ensure healthy rivers and public satisfaction. Belt transects were conducted to assess riparian habitats and standardized electrofishing surveys have been conducted to assess the composition of the fish assemblage near the lease sites. Game cameras were deployed along with a volunteer use survey to assess the intensity of use and quality of experience at each site. Analysis of initial baseline data from a subset of the access areas has shown areas of highest priority for riparian restoration and use monitoring. Continued monitoring of the subset of sites and additional surveys will aid in creating an adaptive management strategy.