Texas Wild Rice

"Texas wild rice is an aquatic herbaceous perennial which can be found growing only in the cool, clear waters of the San Marcos River in Texas. This species was so abundant in the 1930's that the local irrigation company considered it difficult to keep this plant from clogging its ditches. In striking contrast, this species is now listed as federally endangered (USFWS 1978), with only a few populations known in the wild. A main cause of this decline is the fact that water has been pumped out of the Edwards Aquifer to supply water for agriculture, industry, and human use. This directly effects the spring flow of the San Marcos River, which this wild rice depends upon. Lowering of the river water levels is a major threat to the survival of this species. Texas wild rice is related to commercially grown wild-rice, and therefore a potentially invaluable resource of hardy genetic stock."