Restoring the Rio Grande with Federal Funding: Texas

August 25, 2026

The story of the Rio Grande is one of a single, shared resource under immense pressure. From its headwaters in Colorado, through the interconnected landscapes of New Mexico, and into the Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas where it flows along the Mexico border, communities, land managers, Tribes, agricultural producers, and conservation partners are working to sustain the river in the face of growing water challenges. In this final blog of our three-part series on how federal WaterSMART funding shapes watershed restoration and resilience, we focus on South Texas, where the river reaches its terminus and every remaining drop serves people, agriculture, fish, and wildlife – underscoring the importance of making the most of limited water supplies through innovative management and conservation. You can read part one, focused on New Mexico’s Rio Grande project work, HERE, and part two, focused on Colorado, HERE.

In the lower stretches of the Rio Grande along the Texas border, the landscape looks vastly different from upstream. Here, public access to the river is largely limited to a handful of wildlife refuges, management areas, and state and municipal parks rather than the wide-reaching federal public lands found farther north. While sportsmen and women have fewer opportunities to hunt and fish here than upstream, the river’s role as a critical corridor for migratory birds, native fish, and other wildlife remains just as important.

In the Lower Rio Grande, where water is scarce and demands on the river are high, protecting and restoring habitat depends on making every drop count. To better understand how federal funding is supporting these efforts, a group of conservation partners, irrigation districts, municipalities, university representatives, and others embarked on a field tour of U.S. Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART-funded projects in the Lower Rio Grande Valley on a 100-degree day in late July. We were all jealous during a tour stop at an irrigation conveyance channel as we watched a dog jump into the canal to cool off from the relentless heat. Down here everyone understands the importance of water.

WaterSMART Program Helps Protects Western Waters

Throughout this three-part blog series, we’ve explored how collaboration, restoration, and strategic water management strengthen the resilience of the Rio Grande across the basin.And another common theme has been each state’s reliance on WaterSMART grants. The Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) program is one of the primary federal funding sources dedicated to addressing Western water management and drought-related challenges. This Texas field tour aimed to convey the diversity of projects this grant program supports and how it contributes to multiple stakeholder goals that all boil down to making sure the Rio Grande can serve the people and wildlife that depend on it.

“It’s not ‘fish versus farmers’ down here; everyone is taking actions to better manage a scarce resource.”

Staff from the offices of U.S. Senators and Representatives were present and eager to connect with tour participants. The day opened with a presentation from the Bureau of Reclamation on the breadth of WaterSMART-funded projects that stakeholders have implemented in the Lower Rio Grande to increase water security, improve habitat, advance science, and more. In addition to federal staff and attendees from local and state agencies like the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, grantees who supported the tour included:

City of McAllen
Rio Grande Joint Venture/American Bird Conservancy
Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension
Hidalgo Irrigation District No. 2
United Irrigation District

All grant recipients spoke to the value of the WaterSMART program and how it contributes to better water management and building resilience for the Lower Rio Grande. Projects showcased during the day included canal lining to improve water delivery efficiency by reducing seepage losses and limiting invasive vegetation; water reuse projects that deliver treated, non-potable water for municipal and other non-drinking uses; and stream restoration and sediment management projects that improve habitat while supporting more reliable water delivery downstream.

Sustainable Water Management Benefits Fish and Wildlife

Bobby Janecka, former commissioner of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and principal at Guadalupe Public Affairs, remarked that the tour “was a great reminder of how much real, on-the-ground benefit these federal programs deliver, from local water supply and storage projects to nature-based restoration at the watershed scale.” Entities in the Lower Rio Grande are doing what they can to make sure more water stays in the river for the benefit of all.

“The field visits to Hidalgo County ID No. 2 and United Irrigation District were especially valuable, showing how central irrigation districts are to water security and daily life in the Rio Grande Valley,” said Bobby Janecka, principal at Guadalupe Public Affairs.

It’s not “fish versus farmers” down here; everyone is taking actions to better manage a scarce resource. In fact, through the lens of fish and wildlife, a lined canal is actually a habitat protection tool. By lining canals to prevent seepage and removing water-thirsty invasive plants, irrigation districts ensure that more water stays in the Rio Grande. Every drop saved from leaking into the ground is a drop that remains available for the migratory birds and wildlife that depend on the river’s southernmost habitats.

By reducing pressure on the Rio Grande during the hottest months, both infrastructure efficiency and water reuse projects help maintain flows that fish and other aquatic species depend on. Besides canal-lining projects, other efforts showcased during the tour included:

The City of McAllen and its partners are expanding the use of treated, non-potable water for community needs, reducing municipal demand on the river, and creating a critical buffer when water supplies are at their lowest.
The instream restoration work that Rio Grande Joint Venture/American Bird Conservancy is doing to restore habitat upstream of the valley in West Texas ensures that higher quality and greater quantities of water reach downstream while recharging aquifers along the way.
Texas A&M University is developing a plan to remove accumulated sediment from a lake along the lower Rio Grande, restoring valuable aquatic habitat and improving water quality for the benefit of all.

While their missions and federally funded projects may differ, stakeholders in the Lower Rio Grande are all working to improve the river’s function and how far its resources can stretch. These efforts, whether tied to ecosystem improvements or infrastructure upgrades, help increase the river’s resiliency, providing critical benefits for fish and wildlife in the Rio Grande.

One Goal, Many Benefits

Across the three Rio Grande Basin states, the thread remains the same: a healthy river with healthy habitats benefits all. From the headwaters to the terminus, federal funding through programs like WaterSMART is the engine that allows these communities to innovate and implement coordinated, impactful approaches to conservation and restoration.

In Texas, where the river is at its most strained, sustainable and efficient water management is essential to the river’s future. By highlighting how federal investments are supporting water efficiency, restoration, and infrastructure improvements in the river’s final miles, we reinforce the central message of this series: the importance of ensuring there is enough water kept in the river to sustain the fish, wildlife, and outdoor traditions that define the Rio Grande for generations to come.

Our actions in managing the Rio Grande now will define how it serves us in the future. Will we continue to invest in modernizing water infrastructure, advancing science, restoring degraded river reaches, and improving the efficiency and resilience of our water systems? The answer will shape the future of one of the West’s most important rivers.

Take Action

To learn more about the TRCP’s efforts to ensure that WaterSMART receives continued federal funding to tackle Western water challenges, and to help support this effort, see a related Action Alert . To read parts one and two of this blog series, see Restoring the Rio Grande with Federal Funding: New Mexico and Restoring the Rio Grande with Federal Funding: Colorado.

Banner image credit: BFS Man

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by: Jim Kauffman

posted in: Conservation Funding

August 24, 2026

Pennsylvania Awarded $2.8 Million USDA Grant to Expand Fishing Access on Private Lands

The Farm Bill-funded Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) provides critical funding for state and tribal governments to increase public access opportunities for hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation on private lands

Pennsylvania is fortunate to have almost 86,000 miles of streams and rivers. A diverse landscape produces small headwater mountain runs, limestone creeks, freestone streams, big rivers, and one Great Lake, offering some of the finest fishing in the country. But with a population of 13 million people and many waterways flowing through private land, access can be a barrier for the many who seek to enjoy these resources. In fact, over 80% of Pennsylvania’s stocked trout waters exist on private lands, while 70% of wild trout waters and almost 60% of our Class A trout waters also are on private lands. These privately owned stretches can impede anglers trying to access fishable waters.

Fortunately, funding has been dedicated that facilitates hunting and fishing access to these private lands through the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP); a voluntary, incentive-based Farm Bill program. VPA-HIP provides funding for state and tribal governments to incentivize landowners for allowing public access to hunters, anglers, and other outdoor recreationists on their lands. Through a competitive application process, states and tribes apply for VPA-HIP funds that can be used at the state-level for access and habitat improvement projects. During the latest round of applications, the PFBC sought funding and was awarded $2.8 million through VPA-HIP to expand public access on private waterways in Pennsylvania through access easements. The commission will purchase streamside easements on targeted waterways that permanently create public access for fishing, boating, and outdoor recreation.

Easements acquired by PFBC as part of a previous round of VPA-HIP funding.
Image credit: PFBC

Former VPA-HIP dollars awarded to the PFBC have been used to open stretches of multiple waterways across the Commonwealth, and this round of funding aims to do more of the same. Through the application of easements that compensate landowners for access, the PFBC continues to invest in expanding fishing opportunities, which benefits all Pennsylvania anglers.

“We are excited for this opportunity and believe that it can benefit private landowners significantly, while also benefiting anyone who enjoys outdoor recreation and access to waters,” said Penny Ayers, Chief of the Division of Public Access and Property Services for the PFBC.

Access to Lake Erie tributaries is critical for anglers who pursue steelhead and brown trout during upstream runs. Image credit: Tim Schaeffer

Over the next three years, easements will be acquired on private waterways that have been identified by PFBC staff as desirable waters for anglers or are offered by willing landowners. This is a voluntary program, so private landowners always get to decide if they want to participate. They retain ownership of the land while being compensated monetarily for allowing public access for fishing or boating. Potential easements are discussed at quarterly PFBC Commissioner meetings, and when approved are made public through press releases and the PFBC website.

A section of Pine Creek in Potter County, opened for public access through a PFBC VPA-HIP easement. Image credit: PFBC

VPA-HIP dollars can also be used by the PFBC to construct or improve parking areas that provide anglers with improved access to streamside easements. These projects are implemented on sites where appropriate, and only with landowner approval.

Whether you’re pursuing smallmouth in the Susquehanna, wild browns in the Little J, or steelhead coming out of Lake Erie, increased access facilitates better fishing opportunities and improves angler satisfaction. VPA-HIP grants and similar programs provide critical funding for easement acquisitions, offering state governments the necessary tools to enhance access to waterways that flow through private lands. TRCP applauds the USDA and PFBC for continuing to invest in public access programs that provide quality hunting and fishing opportunities for all Pennsylvanians.

If you are a Pennsylvania landowner interested in being compensated for opening your stream frontage to public access, you can contact Penny Ayers, Chief of the Division of Public Access and Property Services for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, at peayers@pa.gov.

Banner image courtesy Adam Miller

The Hunter & Angler’s Guide to the Farm Bill

It can be difficult to understand all the acronyms tied to Farm Bill conservation programs and why the reauthorization and improvement of this legislation is a top priority. In The Hunter & Anglers Guide to the Farm Bill, we demystify the Farm Bill and the crucial conservations programs that sportsmen and women should care about.

by: Ryan DuLaney

posted in: Conservation Funding

August 18, 2026

USDA Expands Public Waterfowl Hunting Access in Arkansas

Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) award strengthens partnerships with rice producers while improving critical waterfowl habitat

For generations, Arkansas has been recognized as one of America’s premier waterfowl hunting destinations. That reputation depends on more than abundant waterfowl, however. It also relies on a landscape of working farms, healthy wetlands, and private landowners willing to play a leading role in conservation. A recent $2.1 million investment through the USDA and the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) will help ensure that tradition continues.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission was awarded funding in July to continue its highly successful Waterfowl Rice Incentive Conservation Enhancement (WRICE) Program, which provides financial incentives to rice producers located near wildlife management areas and national wildlife refuges in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) and Arkansas River Valley. Through voluntary annual agreements, participating landowners implement practices focused on creating quality habitat while opening their properties to public access. AGFC plans to contract approximately 12,000 acres of rice fields and 3,000 acres of Wetland Reserve Easement properties through the WRICE program over the next three years. This will equate to almost 50 additional waterfowl hunting locations available each year to the public through a limited draw process.

“We are in the final stages of contracting properties for the 2026-27 waterfowl season.,” said David Graves, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s WRICE program coordinator. “If all goes to plan, we will execute contracts with 13 rice producers and three WRE landowners to lock in 3,602 acres of rice fields and 967 acres of WRE ground. These contracts will equate to 47 hunting locations around the state this year.”

Addressing Regional Issues with Conservation Solutions

Across the MAV, access to quality waterfowl hunting continues to be one of the greatest challenges facing sportsmen and women. Overcrowding at popular management areas and elevated hunting lease costs have made access challenging for hunters. At the same time, changing agricultural practices and a reduction in rice production acres have reduced the availability of winter-flooded habitat that migrating ducks have depended upon for decades. Programs like WRICE demonstrate that conservation and agriculture can work hand in hand.

“The program is also highly sought after by rice producers looking to make some additional money from rice acreage,” said Graves.

By helping rice producers offset the costs of managing fields for wildlife, the program creates seasonal habitat that provides critical food and resting areas for migrating waterfowl, while simultaneously expanding opportunities for public hunting.

Benefits of this voluntary incentive approach extend to several groups:

Hunters gain access to quality public waterfowl hunting opportunities on private lands.
Rice producers receive financial incentives that reward conservation stewardship practices.
Waterfowl benefit from additional winter habitat located within key migration corridors.
Water retention on rice fields over the winter can reduce flood impacts and improve water quality in the river basins.
Rural communities benefit from increased outdoor recreation and hunting-related spending.

The program has proven to provide quality experiences through its managed hunting schedule and draw systems that equate to convenient and productive access for hunters and birdwatchers. The popularity of the opportunities created through the WRICE program continually grows each year. Graves said that during the 2025-26 waterfowl season, an average of 686 hunters applied to hunt WRICE fields each week, compared to 467 and 536 hunters during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, respectively.

Program Draws New Hunters, Benefits Working Farms

Not only is the WRICE program gaining popularity among seasoned waterfowl hunters, but it is also being used to recruit new waterfowl hunters and reactivate hunters into a popular recreation opportunity. According to AGFC, this past year, 9.7% of draw recipients took a “first-time hunter” with them to one of the WRICE fields, 19.4% of the recipients took a “first-time waterfowl hunter,” and 22.6% took a relapsed hunter.

While it is well known that the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership strongly supports and advocates public land funding and quality access, it is important to point out that private lands also are an essential component – perhaps the most important component – of conservation efforts in the MAV. Programs like VPA-HIP, a voluntary Farm Bill program, recognize that landowners, especially agricultural producers, are among the nation’s most important conservation partners. The TRCP believes these federal investments encourage voluntary stewardship that keeps America’s working farms productive while delivering measurable wildlife benefits.

This announcement from USDA presents a great opportunity to highlight how successful partnerships function between farmers, conservation organizations, state wildlife agencies, and the USDA through Farm Bill programs. VPA-HIP demonstrates how voluntary conservation programs can deliver substantial benefits for wildlife, hunters, and rural economies alike.

The TRCP applauds the USDA and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission for continuing to invest in voluntary, incentive-based conservation that benefits both working lands and the sporting community. As demand for quality hunting opportunities continues to grow, programs like VPA-HIP, and specifically WRICE, offer a proven model for expanding public access while strengthening habitat across the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Continued support for these partnerships will help ensure future generations can experience Arkansas’s rich waterfowl hunting traditions.

Banner image courtesy Cason Short

The Hunter & Angler’s Guide to the Farm Bill

by: Zach Bodhane

posted in: Conservation Funding

July 29, 2026

Committees Consider Public Lands Bills That Balance Conservation, Access and Local Economies

Bipartisan bills aim to resolve long-standing land use conflicts while safeguarding fish and wildlife habitat and hunter and angler access.

Earlier this month, the House Natural Resources Committee (HNRC) and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee heard testimony and voted to advance several bills that would conserve fish and wildlife habitat, boost access, and improve rural economies. Although these bills use different public land designations to protect resources or enhance recreation—and, in select cases, transfer federal land to tribes and counties—they share a common thread: each carefully balances a range of local interests and reflects years of collaboration.

Northern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act

On a bipartisan vote, the HNRC voted to advance the Northern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act (H.R. 2317) led by Congressman Mark Amodei (R- Nev.). This bill represents an important step toward responsible, community-driven land use planning that includes conservation and maintains public access. It includes the sale or transfer of some carefully vetted public land parcels for community use, tribal land transfers, and the resolution of long-standing wilderness study areas and wilderness designations that have broad support. Additionally, the bill would help address the public and private land ownership issues of checkerboarded public land in northern NV, allowing large sections of public and private land to become contiguous and creating access to once-landlocked public lands.

Douglas County Economic Development and Conservation Act

The Senate ENR Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining heard testimony on the Douglas County Economic Development and Conservation Act (S. 4200) introduced by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.). The bill includes many of the provisions of H.R. 2317 specific to Douglas County. Beyond tribal land transfers and other provisions that would ensure public access is maintained or improved; the bill would transfer land to the county for flood prevention and watershed health projects. Similar to H.R. 2317, the Douglas County Economic Development and Conservation Act is the product of many years of locally led collaboration and compromise.

Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection

During the same ENR Subcommittee hearing, the panel heard testimony on the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act (S. 1791/H.R. 3421) introduced by Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo), Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Colo), and Congressman Jeff Hurd (R-Colo). The bill would establish enhanced public land protections through tools like special management areas, wildlife conservation areas, recreation management areas, and wilderness for more than 730,000 acres in the Gunnison River Basin. TRCP applauds the bipartisan support and attention to this region of Colorado given the significance to hunters and anglers. It will be important to take the bill in context with the recently finalized Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests Plan, and ensure that wildlife habitat function and connectivity remain prioritized in balance with other interests.

These bills took another important step forward toward becoming law but still have a long way to go, and there are many other deserving public lands conservation bills still awaiting markup. The clock on the 119^th Congress strikes midnight in January 2027, after which all bills would need to be reintroduced and reconsidered. TRCP remains committed to working with Congress to work on these bills and other important public lands, habitat, and access legislation. 

TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on budget reconciliation as well as emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.

by: Sarah Smith

posted in: Conservation Funding

July 24, 2026

Restoring the Rio Grande with Federal Funding: Colorado

The story of the Rio Grande begins in Colorado, where the river’s headwaters shape the health and future of the entire basin. In part two of our three-part series on how federal funding turns ideas about watershed restoration and resilience into on-the-ground projects on the river, we explore how Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART funding is leading to collaboration and results in the San Luis Valley. You can read part one, focused on New Mexico’s Rio Grande project work, HERE.

Before the Rio Grande reaches New Mexico and Texas, it passes through the high mountains and agricultural valleys of southern Colorado. Here is where Rocky Mountain snowmelt becomes streamflow and where decisions about land and water management shape the realities of communities and habitats far downstream.

An early June field tour in Colorado’s San Luis Valley brought us to the Rio Grande’s headwaters, where representatives from restoration and sporting organizations, irrigation and conservation districts, municipal entities, and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation program managers showcased WaterSMART-funded projects for bipartisan Congressional staff. The Bureau’s WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) program is one of the primary federal funding sources dedicated to addressing Western water management and drought-related challenges.

A consistent theme that emerged on the Colorado tour was how deliberately partners in the San Luis Valley have designed projects and watershed planning documents to deliver multiple outcomes and benefits to communities and users across the upper basin.

Collaboration for Multiple Benefits

In this northern section of the Rio Grande Basin, restoration work rarely serves a single purpose. Projects are structured to advance overlapping priorities: sustaining agriculture; improving habitat and watershed function; strengthening water security and resilience; reducing wildfire and drought risk; and supporting local economies that depend on healthy rivers.

That multi-benefit approach reflects years of intentional partnership-building among landowners, farmers and ranchers, water managers, conservation groups, state and local agencies, and federal partners who have learned how to find common ground in shared challenges. The San Luis Valley has mastered collaboration and how to meet mutually beneficial goals. Residents know that healthy rivers and watersheds matter to everyone, even if the reasons differ. That shared understanding allows projects to move forward with support from diverse constituencies that might not otherwise sit on the same side of an issue.

Throughout the day, partners showcased WaterSMART-funded efforts from across the San Luis Valley, including projects that simultaneously restored fish habitat while upgrading irrigation infrastructure; a project that increased recreational opportunity while reducing water use; another that improved data, planning, and tools for tracking and trading water across the region; and more. Entities that supported the TRCP-led tour included:

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Ducks Unlimited
Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project
Rio Grande Water Conservation District
City of Alamosa
San Luis Valley Irrigation District

The WaterSMART program has funded over 2,100 projects and 270 planning documents totaling over $12.1 billion, enabling larger project work in Western states.

During an opening presentation on how the WaterSMART program functions and what it funds, Susan Storm, the Bureau of Reclamation’s Alamosa Field Division manager, remarked that the program “is so important for communities to get work done faster and more efficiently. It’s an excellent way to support community projects and the work is often better targeted to specific needs when managed locally.”

For sportsmen and sportswomen, these projects translate into more and higher quality water in the river, more resilient and functional riparian corridors, and improved habitat conditions. Efforts to protect Rio Grande headwaters health support hunting and angling opportunities across the entire basin, including in Southern Colorado and downstream throughout New Mexico and Texas.

A Funding Source for Bipartisan Values

Congressional staff members from Colorado offices on both sides of the aisle joined the field tour, demonstrating a shared recognition that management of threatened water resources requires collaboration. In small communities, that instinct often comes naturally as neighbors work together on shared challenges. At the federal level, the dynamics are more complex, but the underlying need is the same.

We’ve seen that cooperation translated into durable support for Western water priorities, including programs like WaterSMART, where bipartisan backing has advanced projects that deliver shared benefits across the West. In 2026, the president’s budget proposed complete elimination of the WaterSMART program. Senators and representatives from both sides of the aisle, however, recognized the importance of maintaining the funding source. As a result, while 2026 funding levels were lower than previous years, the program was preserved.

Another example of collaboration is the bipartisan effort underway in both the House and Senate to reauthorize one of WaterSMART’s key sub-programs, the Cooperative Watershed Management Program (CWMP), which expires at the end of 2026. The CWMP supports watershed group development, restoration planning, and project planning and design. CWMP serves as an important funding source for many organizations across the Rio Grande Basin and the Western U.S. who are working to build partnerships, develop project roadmaps, and advance on-the-ground solutions to water challenges.

It’s possible to work together around shared values despite differences, and the folks in the San Luis Valley are a clear example of that. With limited resources, they understand the value of coming together to tackle challenges so that everyone benefits. Across Colorado, WaterSMART has provided more than $77 million to support efforts to address water reliability and resilience. Continued investment through WaterSMART and other federal funding programs is essential to keep that work moving forward.

Take Action

To learn more about the TRCP’s efforts to ensure that WaterSMART receives continued funding to tackle Western water challenges, and to help support this effort, see a related Action Alert . And stay tuned for part three of our Restoring the Rio Grande with Federal Funding blog series: in our last installment, we will take you to the Rio Grande’s terminus in South Texas, where WaterSMART is helping fund the water management challenges that are as big as Texas itself.

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