"Devils River Could Feel Impact of Hunt for Water"

"The Devils River is seen by many as one of the state’s last pristine rivers. Yet even this river may now be threatened, as faraway urban parts of Texas seek new water supplies amid drought and population explosion. A project in the works seeks to pump water from the Edwards-Trinity Aquifer in Val Verde County, where much of the Devils River is located. The company ’proposes to pipe billions of gallons of the water each year to various cities across the state..."

"Ecological Shifts Spell Challenges for the Pecos River"

"Isolation has allowed the Pecos to avoid some of the challenges that increased development has brought to many of the state’s other waterways. But it has not been spared from another threat — the gradual ecological changes wrought by the man-made lakes bookending its passage through the state..."

"19,000 acres of East Texas forest protected"

"The Temple Foundation, International Paper and The Conservation Fund closed a deal to protect 19,000 acres of hardwood forest along the Neches River in East Texas, to protect the Boggy Slough Forest west of Lufkin.  The new agreement guarantees that the hardwood forest and wetlands will be kept as a nature preserve. The tract stretches 18-miles along the Neches River and includes 4,500 acres of riverside forest that has not been touched in decades..."

"Royalex: Dead In The Water"

"As early as 2015, retailers could see the last Royalex canoe leave their shops. This past summer, PolyOne announced it would cease production in April 2014 of the long-favored hull material. Since then, the paddling community has been wrestling with the ramifications of the decision and what it means for the sport. “One year from today, we won’t have any Royalex left in our warehouse,” confirms Bill Kueper, vice-president of Wenonah Canoes. Thanks to its near indestructability, for 35 years Royalex has been the go-to material for whitewater boaters, summer camps and remote expeditions..."

"N.H. considers annual fee for canoes, kayaks"

"Dropping a canoe or kayak in New Hampshire waters may soon come at a cost. It could also become a little more expensive to use a rowboat, sailboat or any other “non-motorized” vessel under a bill being proposed in the Legislature. Sen. Robert Odell is sponsoring legislation that would require owners of these watercraft to pay a $10 annual fee to the state..."

"Friendly seal jumps on kayak"

"Georgia Stephens got a cute surprise when a young seal suddenly jumped aboard her kayak in open water. Georgia,22, from was canoeing in the ocean in the Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand, when the cheeky critter suddenly gave them a close encounter. The couple caught the whole event on a camera..."

"Tragedy highlights need for lifejackets"

"Water-sports enthusiasts were taking a safety-first approach yesterday after the drowning of a father and daughter during the weekend. Zoujie Cai, 40, and his 6-year-old daughter Zexuan were kayaking on Lake Tarawera on Sunday. The girl was wearing an adult-sized lifejacket which came off when she fell into the water, police say, but her father was not wearing one..."

"Kayaker killed in shark attack"

"A man fishing from a kayak off a Hawaiian island has died after being bitten by a shark. The victim's companion, who was also on a kayak, told the department that his friend was fishing for baitfish with artificial lures when a shark bit one of his feet, which was dangling over the edge of the boat. The incident was the latest in an alarming spate of shark attacks in the state this year..."

"100 Years on the Water"

"In Rapid Media's 2014 Paddling Buyer's Guide, there’s no shortage of choice. Short boats, long boats, folding and inflatable boats, standup boards for idling, surfing, racing and rapid shooting—and all made from a cornucopia of space-age materials and presented in every shape and color imaginable. What’s nothing short of amazing is that with the wide-ranging preferences and predilections of the current paddlesports marketplace, you can still buy a canvas-covered wooden canoe essentially unchanged in more than a century of service. Yes, you too can have a premium-grade, 16-foot Old Town OTCA for $7,599.99. Back in 1925, an OTCA sold for about $50..."

"Dream Boats"

"When Dylan Schoelzel graduated from college, he had several things he wanted to do. That was nearly two decades ago. “I had always wanted to build a canoe, and that’s the only thing on the list I’ve done,” he said. For the past 17 years, he and his wife, Emily, have made a living building wood-canvas canoes from scratch and repairing small wooden boats and canoes, in a barn behind their home. Once he built it, he knew he’d found his calling..."

"Things to do in Houston before you die" (Houston, TX)

The Houston Chronicle features a visual display of 41 bucket-list things to do around Houston before you die. Item number 13 on the list is: "Canoe or kayak Brazos River, Buffalo Bayou and the Ship Channel all the way from the reservoir to the Gulf of Mexico..."

Complete story: Houston Chronicle