May 10 is a day etched in history for a group of now-grown students from a third-grade class at Decatur Intermediate School.
On this day in 1989, the third graders and their teacher from a school northwest of Fort Worth successfully lobbied for lawmakers to adopt the Guadalupe Bass as the official state fish of Texas.
The title was fitting since the fish is only found in Texas, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD). The species does not typically grow to large sizes as it is often found in small streams and rivers.
The Guadalupe Bass calls the small streams and rivers of the Brazos, Colorado, Guadalupe and San Antonio river basins home.
Yet, despite the fish’s stature, the species has long faced threats.
In 1991, TPWD created the Guadalupe Bass Restoration Initiative to help mitigate threats to the fish and conserve the species.
For more on conservation efforts and to see fishing destinations, click here.