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Texas drought could threaten endangered species (readying plans to evacuate fish,amphibians)
Yahoo ^ | 8/30/11 | Betsy Baney - AP

Posted on 08/30/2011 5:51:07 PM PDT by NormsRevenge

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Federal officials are readying plans to evacuate a small number of endangered species in Texas as a severe drought lowers water levels and threatens the survival of rare wildlife in the state's huge ecosystem.

Months with almost no rain have caused water levels to drop by half or more in many rivers, lakes and other bodies of water, including springs in the central Texas Hill Country that are the only remaining habitat for populations of small fish, amphibians and other creatures. If the water continues to drop sharply, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials are preparing to net up large samples from the springs to take to a hatchery for preservation.

Such evacuations have been rare in the past, with one ordered in 2000 to rescue several species of mussels in Georgia. ..

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: drought; endangeredspecies; texas; threaten
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To: Winstons Julia
Light Rain in Dallas

hmmmm.. lol

41 posted on 08/30/2011 7:59:12 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed .. Monthly Donor Onboard .. Obama: Epic Fail or Bust!!!)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

No, this isn’t the first drought we’ve had but it’s been the worst in recorded history. We might have high temps or we might have no rain but this year we’re getting them both and that is very unusual. I haven’t had but about 5 minutes of rain in months. Yesterday’s temp was 112 and we’re closing in on 80 straight days of 100+ temps. Crops have burned up. Livestock is being sold off at rock bottom prices because there’s no grass or water for them. Rivers and lakes are drying up. Fish have died. Wildlife is also dying from lack of water. Trees hundreds of years old are dying because of no water and the heat. The wildlife is getting sickly and moving into more human populated areas. Cases of rabies are up and more people are getting bitten. Snakes are moving in so snake bites will be going up as well. I expect any day to hear of neighbors being attacked by deer because the deer have moved onto their porches to have their fawns and they aren’t afraid to stand up to the owners (it’s not deer season). That brings ticks and lyme disease. Fireworks have been banned for months. Outdoor grilling was banned during the 4th. Most towns have had burn bans for months. There is barely a night that goes by without the local news reporting another grass fire. Most towns have lawn watering restrictions with fines over $1000. Some are worried they’ll have enough drinking water and are looking at shipping it in by train which is very costly. This is nothing to be poo-pooed as hype. It is quite serious. We are hurting and there’s no end in sight. Many businesses are being hurt by it so much they may never come back.

Money is tight so I started a garden but as soon as it began producing, it burned up from the heat despite constant watering from a private well. Setting the A/C on 80, it’s still running constantly and my bill is double what is normally is. I look forward to taking a shower just to stand under the cool water for a few minutes.


42 posted on 08/30/2011 8:04:51 PM PDT by bgill (just getting tagline ready for 6 months after you vote in Perry - Tried to warn you he's a RINO.)
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To: NormsRevenge

Did you think I was kidding?

My direct line to God isn’t broken. I can only assume that He enjoys the gyrations.


43 posted on 08/30/2011 8:08:30 PM PDT by Winstons Julia (when liberals rant, it's called free speech; when conservatives vent, it's called hate speech.)
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To: Squantos

I was wondering how they were going to net him.


44 posted on 08/30/2011 8:11:18 PM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: bgill

I know how bad it is. I did my rain dance. So.... you can expect relief.


45 posted on 08/30/2011 8:16:20 PM PDT by Winstons Julia (when liberals rant, it's called free speech; when conservatives vent, it's called hate speech.)
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To: NormsRevenge

I haven’t seen a Horny Toad for 20 years!!! (that’s a horned toad for you yanks)


46 posted on 08/30/2011 8:22:21 PM PDT by Sporke (USS-Iowa BB-61)
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To: NormsRevenge

This reminds me of Mark Levin’s sarcastic remark Friday about hurricanes: “Mother Nature is anti-environment.”


47 posted on 08/30/2011 8:24:01 PM PDT by newzjunkey
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To: bgill

Gezzz...I had no idea it was that bad..

Best of luck, and hope ya get some rain...


48 posted on 08/30/2011 8:50:02 PM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: bgill

Wow...thanks for the first hand report. I’ve heard about your problems, but not to that extent or detail. Thanks for setting me straight...sorry I made light of your disaster there.

Still, I can’t help but think of better uses for the money than relocating some critters.

POF


49 posted on 08/30/2011 8:54:48 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: Nervous Tick
Texas .. home to 86 endangered and threatened species.

Haha You are more accurate than you know. The powers that be will completely cut us off waterwise inorder that the Comal Springs keep flowing. In severe droughts of the past before anybody cared or paid attention and the Springs quit flowing, the little critters survived by going deeper in to the Edwards Aquifer.

But that's not good enough now. They've got to be "protected" and they've got to save the "wild rice" too. But all the businesses in the counties which make up the Edwards Aquifer Authority in which water is their lifes' blood can be damned.

50 posted on 08/30/2011 9:12:40 PM PDT by Texan
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To: tet68; Eaker

Expensive part is gonna be shipping him his special diet of fried okra and Johnny Walker Blue label.....

.......


51 posted on 08/30/2011 9:36:31 PM PDT by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet)
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To: NormsRevenge

Probably not worth it to save them.

In two or more years they will die from Global Warming, so it just might be nice to give these fishies a nice corn fed sendoff and give them a sincere toot-a-loo!


52 posted on 08/30/2011 9:48:57 PM PDT by Noob1999
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To: ProtectOurFreedom; dragnet2; Winstons Julia

10% precipitation predicted for the weekend so not holding my breath. We many need all of FR to do a rain dance, lol.

At 11:30 it was still 94. The two droolers here wouldn’t mind being relocated. They go out to take care of business and come right back in to the tile where it’s cool. Nothing but eating, sleeping and getting plump. The neighbor (one of the rabies cases) has been keeping his hunting dogs inside so you know they’ll be happy for cooler weather. Too much cabin fever.


53 posted on 08/30/2011 9:53:18 PM PDT by bgill (just getting tagline ready for 6 months after you vote in Perry - Tried to warn you he's a RINO.)
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