Texas Parks and Wildlife is a weekly, PBS television series that began in 1985. Originally called Made in Texas, the series switched its name in 1991 and still runs as such today. With the intent to promote the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the series also strove to provide Texans with in-depth information on the diverse ecology, outdoor recreational opportunities, and relevant environmental and conservation issues occurring throughout the state. This 1989 episode focuses on the deterioration of fresh water outlets within the state, as compared to the degradation of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department provides outdoor recreational opportunities by managing and protecting wildlife and wildlife habitat and acquiring and managing parklands and historic areas. It has inherited the functions of many state entities created to protect Texas' natural resources. In 1895 the legislature created the Fish and Oyster Commission to regulate fishing. The Game Department was added to the commission in 1907. The State Parks Board was created as a separate entity in 1923. In the 1930s, projects of the federal Civilian Conservation Corps added substantially to the state's parklands. In 1951, the term oyster was dropped from the wildlife agency's name, and in 1963, the State Parks Board and the Game and Fish Commission were merged to form the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department under the administration of Governor John B. Connally. The legislature placed authority for managing fish and wildlife resources in all Texas counties with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department when it passed the Wildlife Conservation Act in 1983. Previously, commissioners courts had set game and fish laws in many counties, and other counties had veto power over department regulations. Currently, TPWD operates 114 state parks and historical sites, 51 wildlife management areas, and eight fish hatcheries. 

(From the TPWD website.)

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