CITY OF SAN MARCOS
The city of San Marcos is taking steps to further preserve a 248-acre property on the west side of town. Fencing was recently added to prevent trespassing and disturbance of the environment.
Habitat Conservation Plan Manager Mark Enders said The Millican Tract was purchased by the city in 2018 and is located off Old Ranch Road 12 within the Ed- wards Aquifer Recharge Zone.
According to previous reporting by the Daily Record, that plot of land is part of the 18-mile contiguous greenbelt that the San Marcos River Foundation has been looking to preserve for years now. The SMRF helped the city obtain a special loan from the federal Clean Water Fund to purchase the land ensuring perpetual protection, and this was the first loan of its kind in the state of Texas.
Enders said the property is located within the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone.
“[It] contains many karst features, including caves, faults and fractures, which are known to readily infiltrate and transmit rainfall and stormwater runoff into the underlying Edwards Aquifer,” Enders said. “Due to the property being situated within the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone and proximal to San Marcos springs, rainfall and stormwater runoff generated on the property likely has a short transit time through the aquifer to the springs.”
Enders added that the property is also located upstream from the San Marcos River springs and the headwaters at Spring Lake within the Sink Creek/Upper San Marcos River watershed.
“Conservation of the property reduces the potential for stormwater pollutants to enter Sink Creek and the San Marcos River via surface runoff and through the springs,” Enders said. “Ultimately, the conservation of this property helps to protect water quality of the San Marcos River, which is important for ecosystem protection.”
Enders said the project included planning, land acquisition and fencing improvements for a total of $3.2 million. The Texas Water Development Board through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund provided a low-interest loan for 60% and 40% principal forgiveness in the form of the grant.
Enders said that no further improvements are deemed necessary to protect the property, and the city has no current plans to purchase additional conservation sites.
