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The City of San Marcos requested a proposal regarding the restoration of Cape’s Dam, and the Hays County Historical Commission is footing the bill. The Hays County Commissioners Court approved an agreement for a rendering showing what Cape’s Dam, the mill race and Stokes Park could look like in the future if the dam is restored.
“This will be a diagram or map,” said Kate Johnson of the historical commission. “You will have access points for families to get into the river, parking areas — there are no parking areas now at this park — picnic tables, trails will be planned on Thompson’s Island and Stokes Park with interpretive signs about our history and the environment.”
The Historical Commission will spend $5,187.50 on the creation of a conceptual master plan for the Cape’s Dam preservation project. The proposal includes illustrations depicting historical and ecological significance, as well as the economic and recreational importance of the dam and the mill race it creates. The money will come from the commission's operating budget.
The fate of Cape’s Dam has been the subject of a years-long controversy. On one side are those who want to see the dam removed, based on information in a report from Thom Hardy, Ph.D., from the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment and on the dam’s questionable safety after recent floods. On the other side are those who believe the dam should be restored because of its historical significance and the use of the mill race by kayakers and others who seek a gentle stretch of water for recreation.
San Marcos resident Kelly Stone spoke to the commissioners about the agenda item, noting that the San Marcos City Council voted more than three years ago to remove the dam and the Planning and Zoning Commission denied the dam local historical designation.
Stone noted that in January, the state decided to remove a plaque from the State Capitol that rejected slavery as an underlying cause of the Civil War. That plaque, Stone said, was a symbol of “the power of the white man.”
“That very same patriarch can put up a dam anywhere he pleases. Mr. Thompson used his slaves to dig the entire mill race — about 19,000 shovelfuls, probably with wooden shovels — and they died building the dam and the mill. Here we are, dealing with that man’s continued attempt to leave us with a reminder of his power.”
Stone said that multiple studies have shown that Cape’s Dam is “dangerous and problematic” for humans and aquatic life and asked the commissioners to take measures to restore the river.
The county’s general counsel, Mark Kennedy, clarified that the agenda item was for a proposal that the city of San Marcos had requested.
“That’s what this is about — putting a proposal together, not an action as of yet,” Kennedy said.
“I’m very excited about this program,” Johnson said. “It’s just the first step, and this is why the Hays County Historical Commission has budgeted money for this project.”
Precinct 1 Commissioner Debbie Gonzales Ingalsbe said the county will have ongoing discussions with the City of San Marcos on the future of the dam and will partner to “ensure the best possible outcome” for the dam.
“As Ms. Johnson stated, this is the creation of a conceptual plan, just to see what that might look like,” she said.
County Judge Ruben Becerra said that although he is on record as supporting the preservation of Cape’s Dam, “I don’t believe that we should be spending this money on city property unless it becomes county property. So I’m having a little difficulty supporting a contribution of money as a county for city property.”
Ingalsbe noted that the county partners with different cities on projects, and Kennedy said that San Marcos spends money on Five Mile Dam, which is county property.
The item passed 4-1, with Becerra as the sole dissenter.
