"Weekend tubers weigh in on river garbage increase"

"On Saturday, the Comal River was packed full of tubers who decided to spend some time having fun in the sun this Independence Day weekend... According to a recent report released by the City of New Braunfels, the quantity of river trash left behind by tubers has significantly increased this past Memorial Day weekend when compared to the same weekends when the “can ban” was in effect...  Litter in the river had increased by 438 percent over 2013..."

"The San Jacinto Waste Pits were named as a Superfund site for a good reason"

"A July 4, 1837, advertisement for a settlement along the banks of the San Jacinto River praises a "high, beautiful and undulating district of country, distinguished for health, good water and soil." Almost two centuries have passed since that ad. With the growth in population, Texans should expect our rivers to be used for such activites as recreation, fishing and transportation. We should not expect our rivers to be poisoned..."

"Texas Parks & Wildlife Television"

Texas Parks and Wildlife Television has several shows that will be airing this month of interest to HCC members:

• "The Boat Builder", featuring one of our very own: "Houston architect Skip Johnson’s hobby is both a craft and an art. Skip builds wooden kayaks that would be right at home in an art gallery, but are built for the water. Follow along as Skip designs, builds, and finally paddles his latest creation, the ‘Bionic Log’."

• "The Rio Grande, Down But Not Out": "Join a group of students as they head up to Big Bend to float the Rio Grande. This is much more than a fun field trip; it’s a chance to learn. The students discover the many challenges faced by the Rio Grande. But as the students find out, work is being done to help restore the once mighty Rio Grande."

• "Caddo Lake Paddling Trails": "Straddling the Texas-Louisiana border, swampy Caddo Lake in Northeast Texas has an enduring air of mystery. And the paddling trails is the ideal way to explore this fascinating lake.

"As crews renovate Buffalo Bayou Park, part of the green space is already open for business - and much more will be soon. "It's moving right on schedule," Olson said. "As different parts of the park are completed, they're turned over to the Buffalo Bayou Partnership to maintain and operate." The entire $58 million renovation project is slated for completion by next June..."

"Sisters Lost at Sea for 8 Hours While Paddleboarding"

"Two vacationing sisters who took off from Tybee Island, Georgia, Tuesday on their first-ever paddleboarding experience ended up in Hilton Head, South Carolina, after spending a harrowing eight hours lost at sea..."

"Two kayakers charged"

"Two kayakers who were injured after falling 200 feet over the face of the dam at Prettyboy Reservoir have been charged with trespassing. Paul Hare, 22, and Stephen Sparks, 21, are charged with criminal trespassing and face $1,000 fines and one year in jail, said the Baltimore Environmental Police, which patrol the reservoir..."

"Chopper rescues 13 stranded campers"

"Thirteen men stranded on an island on the Colorado River had to be rescued by Star Flight helicopter Friday morning. The men were camping on the island as part of a canoe trip when they got caught in last night’s torrential rains. Everything was okay when they went to bed around 2 a.m. But, they awoke to flooding around 6 a.m. and their canoes and kayaks were nowhere to be found..."

"Japanese artist who made vagina-shaped kayak is jailed"

"Tokyo artist Megumi Igarashi was charged with distributing obscene material for providing 3-D images of her vagina to supporters. "It might be obscene if I were depicting actual sexual intercourse or sexual activity, but I'm just projecting a part of my body just as it is, and I don't consider that obscene," Igarashi said at a news conference. Igarashi said a kayak modeled after her vagina was intended to build awareness of Japan's bias against discussion of that particular part of female anatomy..."