"Only 3 Texas counties exist outside a drought-related natural disaster area"

"As drought intensifies across Texas, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated all but three counties eligible for disaster assistance. Of the state's 252 counties, 240 have deep enough drought to be included in the primary natural disaster area, according to the department's April 23 news release. The only one of the 13 Houston-area counties not on that list is Chambers County..."

"What drought? Lake Conroe full for first time since April 2010"

"People who live, play and work around Lake Conroe have been upbeat for a couple years, since the lake has been within 2 to 3 feet of full.  This week, however, there's reason to break out the champagne: For the first time since April 25, 2010, Lake Conroe is at its full depth of 201 feet.  The full 201 feet is a symbolic milestone, because there seemed to be a fear that the lake might not fill up completely again...."

"Tuber companies on Guadalupe River say too many troopers"

"Two outfitters along the Guadalupe River in Comal County are complaining to county commissioners about what they say is too great a police presence along the popular river route for tubers.  Campground operator Paul Rich and Johnnie Bezdek, who runs a rental firm, says the number of Department of Public Safety troopers over the Memorial Day weekend amounted to overkill and scared away customers..."

"Canoe on Turnpike injures motorcyclist"

"A canoe that fell out of a pickup truck into the roadway on the Kansas Turnpike in Lawrence on Saturday night sent one motorcyclist to a local hospital with injuries..."

"Boats: Who's Bob?"

"Day-tripper or weekend warrior, it seems everyone loves the Bobs Special. Its longstanding appeal has made it one of the most popular canoes of all time.  But who was Bob?  First made in 1905 by New Brunswick’s Chestnut Canoe Company, the Bobs Special we know today was marketed as the 50-Pound Special. When transmitting orders, the Chestnut Canoe Company’s telegraph code for the boat was BOBS. It here the mystery unfolds..."

"Video: Biggest Sturgeon From Kayak?"

"I believe I may have set a new provincial (and hence Canadian) kayak fishing record this weekend landing a 54 inch shortnose sturgeon in my kayak," said Joe Tilley..."

"Royalex Crises, Solved?"

"Jacques Chassé, founder of boat manufacturer Esquif Canoes, thinks he’s solved the Royalex crisis.  Esquif announced yesterday the introduction of T-Formex, a new canoe material Chassé says will replace Royalex, which has been a go-to hull material for 35 years. When the makers of Royalex announced last summer that they’d cease production in 2014, canoeists and canoe manufacturers were left questioning what would fill the void.  T-Formex is Chassé’s answer to that question..."

"You'll probably be seeing more gators in the Houston area over the next few months"

"It's a good time to remind Texans that since late spring through summer is traditionally alligator mating and nesting season, gators will be more active and visible, and in turn the chances for human interaction are higher. Capt. Fred Ruiz with the wildlife department's Harris County office says gator and human interaction is a common occurrence this time of year as temperatures heat up. "During spring the males move around looking for mates and the females are looking for places to nest," Ruiz says..."

"How kayakers are helping scientists learn more about the world's wildest places"

"Want to know if the deadly fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is affecting the Boreal toads and rough-skinned newts on Alaska’s Coronation Island? To find out, here’s what you have to do: Kayak the foggy and swell-battered outer coast for six days. Land through surf and wrestle with maddening thickets of devil’s club and alder to reach the alpine zone. Catch the elusive amphibians in chilly ponds. Rub a swab along the squirming creature’s belly..."

"Transatlantic kayaker declares 'Done with kayaking for a while...'"

"Aleksander Doba, a 67-year-old retired engineer and Polish kayaker steadily paddled on a solo, unsupported expedition across the Atlantic Ocean. He made his way across the Atlantic Ocean between Lisbon, Portugal and New Smyrna Beach, Florida starting October 5, 2013 and finishing the expedition on April 19, 2014. Doba spent 166 days on the ocean and traveled approximately 6,710 nautical miles..."

"Texas had 31 recreational boating deaths last year"

"The U.S. Coast Guard says Texas had 31 recreational boating deaths last year — one less than during 2012. The number of deaths nationwide fell to 560 last year (canoes and kayaks accounted for 109 of those deaths).  Coast Guard officials released the agency's 2013 recreational boating statistics. The report says alcohol use was the leading known contributing factor in fatal U.S. boating accidents..."

"Chandler Wild finds truth on a 6,708-mile bike trip"

"On April 15, 2013, Chandler Wild locked his apartment in New York City, hopped on a 27-gear touring bicycle and began pedaling west. Five and a half months, 6,708 squiggly miles, 30 flat tires and a bushy brown beard later, Wild stood on top of a mountain in Homer, Alaska - the end of the road, where the U.S. highway system stops. You can't go any farther on wheels. The goal was to cross the U.S., up through Canada, into Alaska and name a mountain for his father..."