San Marcos River Foundation Newsletter - Vol. 10, No. 1
Printed Quarterly on Recycled Paper ------- January 10, 2000

PRESIDENT'S COMMENTS

What a good year 1999 has been for SMRF! The investment committee has done so well with SMRF's endowment fund that many new educational projects have been launched via minigrants to teachers in the public school system. Several expensive but important technical studies were also funded to further SMRF's goals of preserving flow, natural beauty and purity of the San Marcos River.
Interest in River preservation is spreading downstream, and so is the clarity of the water! Long time residents are seeing water as clear as they remember from the 1940's, as far down as Staples. The City's new wastewater plant can be credited, as well as the flushing action of the Oct. '98 flood.

The State fish hatchery on Staples Road is building a great new treatment plant for its wastewater, and SMRF is very happy to see that happen without enduring the expense of another hearing. (See article here.) More citizens are showing up at meetings to support ordinances protecting water quality and purchases of green space, as San Marcos goes through quite a growth spurt. This is very good news, and we heartily congratulate the City for its recent purchases of land on Sessom Creek, Schulle Creek, and around Dead Man's Cave, an important aquifer recharge feature.

The new year has prompted optimism and new energy in the SMRF board and membership. Come and be a part of the work and the fun that SMRF is scheduling for the coming year. Read through this newsletter for details. There is an activity for everyone, so come see the lists of projects at the annual membership meeting on Jan. 27, 6 p.m., at the Greenhouse Interpretive Center at IH 35 and Riverside, and sign up for a project. There is a great variety to choose from, so everyone will find a suitable small task for their enjoyment and skill level. It can be as simple as checking the mailbox every week, or working on a map of the River crossings, or as complex as editing the website.

I've been honored to serve as President of the Board for the past year, and know firsthand that you couldn't find a finer group of volunteers to work with. Thanks to all of you who care about the River and make that a priority in your life. You are making headway, so don't ever think otherwise. There are constant threats to the River and the quality of life it embodies, but together we can protect it. A lot has been accomplished already, and future generations will thank you for your efforts.

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NEW YEAR'S DAY PLUNGERS

At their celebratory annual event, SMRF members gather at the University Drive bridge to plunge into the River at noon. It was a perfectly beautiful day for the first swim & picnic of the year 2000.

PARTY JAN. 27TH AT THE GREENHOUSE---FIFTEENTH ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

The beautiful and newly completed Greenhouse Interpretive Center on IH 35 at Riverside will be the site this year for the annual Membership Meeting and Party, Thursday, January 27, 6 p.m. Please come see the building and enjoy the fifteenth annual meeting in SMRF's history, and spend some quality time with those who care about the River and what it stands for in the community. Members will elect three new board members during the 7 p.m. meeting after the party. (See article below.)
SMRF has special pride in this building, since the greenhouse was originally donated to the City by Texas Parks & Wildlife due to the efforts of SMRF and David Morris of San Marcos, who as an employee of TPWD was trying to find a way for this graceful and historic building to be reused. It came close to being scrapped for the iron in it, after being moved first from the Governor's residence in Austin to the State Cemetery, and then from the cemetery for the big renovation done there, which Morris was supervising. It was offered to SMRF, who contacted the City soon thereafter.

The Crook family of San Marcos provided money to reassemble the building, and finally in 1999, the City found funds to finish the interior. Local architect Jeff Kester directed the creative restoration, which will be useful right away as an office for the City River Stewardship staff, and eventually as a local River and history museum, as grants are obtained for aquariums and exhibits. SMRF and the Heritage Asoociation have pledged matching funds for the exhibits.

The location near the River and next to the brand new Tourist Center will make this spot a beautiful front door for San Marcos. Existing pavement from an old service station at this corner made this all possible without any additional impervious cover near the river. The end result will be actually less impervious cover, when landscaping is completed.

Those who wish to help with the party can volunteer tables or chairs, or to help set up or make refreshments, by calling 393-3787.

3 NEW BOARD NOMINATIONS, BACKGROUND ON EACH, & THANKS TO RETIREES

The election of three new board members will happen at the annual membership meeting on January 27 (see above), which means that three board members are retiring. They are: Kyle Wilson, Deborah Lane, and Charles Blankenship. Many thanks to them for the time and energy they brought to SMRF in past years; a lot has been accomplished during their tenures, and the SMRF board is truly grateful for their help. Kyle will continue to be a coordinator of SMRF's educational grants at the local schools, Deborah is continuing in her management role of the River Rangers and their River testing, and Charles has volunteered to continue to monitor SMRF's website. It is great when board members continue their interest in SMRF's work even after their term is done, since there is much more work to do than a 9 member board can really accomplish alone.

The three new nominees for those board positions were selected by a committee of three board members: Therese Kosary, Deborah Lane, and Dianne Wassenich. The nominees are Carolyn Kelley of Fentress, John Tolbert of Martindale, and David Newman of San Marcos. The nominating committee looked for people to round out the representation of the board between riverside landowners and recreationists, residence in San Marcos or downstream towns, skills, etc. SMRF is pleased to have such excellent and interested candidates for the board positions.

Carolyn Kelley has been a River Ranger for 2 years, and is now serving as their Data Manager. She has been a riverside landowner for 3 years, living between Prairie Lea and Fentress. She was a professional medical technologist before becoming an elementary school librarian in her working years in Austin, where she lived before coming to the River. She has a long standing interest in environmental matters, and looks forward to helping SMRF reach out further downriver.

John Tolbert has been a riverside landowner for 14 years, and is the president of his rural neighborhood association at the Falls of Martindale. His daughter Hannah attends San Marcos schools. He has his own business based in Austin for the last 13 years, which builds elevator interiors. His degree is in horticulture, and he continues to enjoy gardening and tree planting. His favorite fishing spot on the coast is in San Antonio Bay, which is where the San Marcos River water ends up, and he loves swimming laps in the River at his home all year round.

David Newman, a San Marcos resident who has enjoyed swimming in the River for the past 25 years, was a leader in the recent Comanche Water Wells protest when SWT attempted to build on the land the City's wells were located on, as well as in the successful effort to kill the City's River Curfew Ordinance. He is a private pilot who travels all over the world, while remaining in touch and informed about local issues via email, when he has to be out of town.

According to SMRF bylaws, nominations can be made from the floor at the membership meeting by members who do not want to accept the slate of nominees as offered, or in writing ten days before the election. For further information on those bylaw requirements of signatures or endorsement percentages, please contact Board Secretary Deborah Lane at 392-3095.

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COTTAGE KITCHEN LUNCHEON COMING UP FEB. 4, COME & DO LUNCH WITH SMRF

For those of you who are new to the area, SMRF always serves a wonderfully delicious benefit lunch the first Friday in February, 11a.m.-1p.m., at the Heritage Association's Cottage Kitchen, the restored rock cottage and museum at the corner of C. M. Allen and Hopkins. Lunches are only $5, (SMRF always offers a vegetarian alternative) and the proceeds go to the Heritage Association. SMRF expects all its supporters to come help or eat, one or the other, or maybe both. This is a big thank you effort because the Heritage Association was a founding member of SMRF, to the tune of over $30,000 in the past 15 years, and has been a long time and firm supporter of SMRF's efforts.

There will be a day of prep work by 6 workers the day before Feb. 4 and then about 12 people will be needed to serve the lunch on the 4th. 12 home baked desserts are also needed, enough for 100 servings. Please call 393-3787 to volunteer, as soon as possible.

SPRING RIVER CLEANUP MARCH 4, AND THERE IS PLENTY OF TRASH FOR ALL

Those working on the upper stretches, bank walkers or canoeists, will meet at City Park near the Lion's Tube Rental at 10 a.m. on that first Saturday in March to get trash bags, instructions, and dinner reservations from Tom Goynes. The Goynes family, for the umpteenth time (somewhere between 25 and 30 years of cleanups) will coordinate the massive cleanup effort. Spencer Canoes will lead the downstream contingent, which really has to be a more expert bunch of canoeists since the trips are very long and can be challenging, what with the log jams and dams and all.

TG Canoes and Spencers will be providing canoes, but there is so much bank walking needed that this really should be emphasized. Every River crossing is a terrible mess, so people all along the 90 miles of the San Marcos River are encouraged to scour their own areas, and call Tom at 392-6171 to find out which county, city, company, or individual will pick up the accumulated trash, and thus where it should be piled for pickup. (And if you are not going to show up at City Park for the head count for dinner, tell Tom that you will need dinner reservations for however many are in your group.)

SMRF will sponsor the thank you dinner for cleanup volunteers at 6 p.m. at the Shady Grove Campground Pavilion in Martindale, which Spencer Canoes lends to the cleanup every year. Volunteers are needed to help set up, serve, and clean up. The caterer depends on this help to give us a reasonable price. And 300 desserts will be needed to feed the hungry workers. To help with dessert baking or dinner logistics, call 393-3787.

BURLESON'S MILL DAM ON SPRING LAKE: THE SAGA CONTINUES

Where to begin on this story? The age old swimming hole at University Drive below the old Ice House was fenced off just before Memorial Day, May '99 because SWT said that the state had warned them the dam was in imminent danger of collapse. The City passed a curfew to keep people from endangering themselves by swimming upstream to that spot above University Drive. SWT had their employees mowing the lawn inside the fence, which was not authorized in the curfew, but otherwise nothing much happened all summer, while SWT looked for funding sources to fix the dam.

The Legislature said "no funds", and then FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and the Corps of Engineers came up with some money, so engineers were hired to prepare a plan. SMRF asked to be included in the meetings re the dam, but was repeatedly refused, after the big public meeting SMRF hosted in April. Many citizens at that packed April 1, '99 meeting at the Public Library offered the no-dam suggestion to SWT as one of the options that should be explored.

Meanwhile, the city's River curfew expired, and many local citizens objected strenuously to curfew renewal efforts at City Council meetings. The State Dam Safety Inspector came to a council meeting, and left everyone with the impression that there really was no new emergency since the flood of October 98, and there was no engineering basis for the panic that caused SWT to shut down the swimming area. The City Attorney even stated in public that the City did not have liability if the curfew was not in place when and if the dam collapsed. So needless to say, the Council did not renew the curfew, and expressed strong interest in seeing immediate repair work done, before Summer 2000 and the tourist season.

SWT and their engineering firm held an open house type public hearing to show their plans for a short-term emergency repair on December 15. Despite the holidays and very short notice, a good crowd showed up, and the plans were studied thoroughly. Questions revealed that some of the people who worked on the plans had never seen the site, which could explain the inappropriate nature of the plans.

A coalition of those determined citizens who worked on the dam curfew issue, SMRF, Texas River Protection Association, and Earthfirst gathered to discuss the plans in late December and agreed to sign a joint letter to the engineering firm about the invasive and destructive nature of the plans to remove all trees on the dam from Clear Springs Apartments to Joe's Crab Shack, drive heavy equipment over the dam, and use pile drivers to install coffer dams. The coalition also called for an environmental impact study of the dam repairs, and offered the information that the Dam Safety Inspector gave the City Council, in hope of getting the fence removed from at least a part of the area.

Rumor has it that SWT is already rethinking the plan to drive over the dam and remove all the trees.

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CAPE'S DAM BLOWS OUT, WILD RICE RESCUE TEAMS GET BUSY

The old rock and timber dam just downstream of IH 35 gave way in two stages in early January, leaving staff members of the Federal Refuge for endangered species with their hands full of muck and wild rice plants. They worked with Texas Parks & Wildlife staff and volunteers for days to transplant lots of wild rice, about 1/4 of the world's population, to deeper water or to the Federal Refuge on McCarty Lane until something can be decided about the dam repair. It is rumored that Fish & Wildlife may help find funds to repair the privately held dam, and is doing temporary repair work already.

More and more people are questioning the wisdom of repairing these rustic dams that have no function any longer. A series of the dams makes the upper San Marcos into a series of long lakes, with hydrilla and other exotics choking the waterways, sediment and nutrient build-ups, and frequent collapses adding to the difficult situation. So far, Fish & Wildlife has expressed opinions that call for dam repairs, but their logic in doing so is being questioned from all sides.

SMRF MEETINGS NOW SCHEDULED FOR THIRD THURSDAYS EACH MONTH

Please get out your calendars and mark the third Thursday of each month, and join SMRF at the Old Fish Hatchery Building on C. M. Allen Parkway behind the Chamber. This is the pale green and white wooden Victorian style building beside the River in the park. It is near the footbridge that crosses the River to go to the Lion's Tube Rental in the City Park. Meetings start at 6 p.m., and all are welcome.

CITY WATER LOSS PROMPTS DETECTIVE WORK, PLEASE REPORT WATER LEAKS

The water loss figures for the city's Water Department have still not been lowered much. Losses of as high as 40% recently have prompted City Manager Gilley to appoint a task force to study the issue. SMRF asked to be represented, and Tara Groeger, who has utility analyst experience on her resume, will attend. A member of the SMRF board will act as a back-up member when Tara's work schedule interferes with meetings. Those who have suggestions are welcome to contact any SMRF board member at the phone numbers at the end of the newsletter, especially if suspicious water sightings are noticed. Please keep watch for any trickles that seem unexplainable.

More testing on the SWT/City water connection was done during the holidays, and some problems were found, though they were not SWT uses, but rather large valves that were not open in City lines around SWT. This caused a very large break at Sessom and LBJ in December. Another huge leak was found inside the fence at the University Drive Bridge at Sessom, which caused many citizens to be without water for a day or so. The chlorinated water poured into the San Marcos River. Frequently, water main breaks in Austin are known to cause fish kills, because of chlorine levels or temperature or oxygen differences, so this is a concern. So few people see the River in winter that fish kills might be hard to find, since dead fish are usually eaten quickly by birds, turtles, and bigger fish.

Many reports have come in recently from those who have seen the very large pipe discharging great quantities of water from the new water plant on River Road near the railroad trestle past Walmart. The City says that this water, pouring into the Blanco River, which flows into the San Marcos River, is an emergency discharge related to repairs of all the leaks, because they had to start up their new water plant to keep up the water pressure in the community. It is chlorinated, and has been flowing for over a week, so SMRF members reported this to the State Kills & Spills Hotline, which promised to help the City develop a protocol for dealing with water main breaks or emergency discharges in the future. The photo below also shows the inadequate erosion control on the long steep bare slopes which caused the banks of the Blanco River to collapse at the new water line location.

DISCHARGE INTO BLANCO

Water from the new water treatment plant, pouring into the Blanco River in an "emergency discharge". Banks collapsed after a washout beneath the sediment fence was caused by the discharge. This is Lake Dunlap water, which will supplement the aquifer water San Marcos currently uses as drinking water.

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WETLAND BOARDWALK CONSTRUCTION SENT OUT FOR BIDS, NATIVE SPECIES ABOUND

The long discussed boardwalk over the slough at Aquarena is being sent out for bids. The latest design is a floating version, with a large roofed structure for an interpretive center as part of it. No word yet on how floods would affect it, or how a dam break would affect the location, but a floating structure sounds more flexible and sensitive to the area than one built with pile drivers.
Many have noticed the new bare look along the slough in Aquarena's golf course, where many of the exotic species of trees have been removed from the banks of the slough. Tallows, mulberries and ligustrums have been primary targets. The Wetlands Restoration Project hopes to replace these trees with native species.

The native waterfowl have certainly arrived in droves this year at Aquarena. Local birder Dick Henderson speculates that the drought has dried up so many small ponds that the large ones, like Spring Lake, are extra packed with migrating ducks and other birds. It is sure worth the trip to look them over. Take binoculars and a bird i.d. book to learn their names, and be sure to call SMRF's bird hotline at 396-BIRD to get a preview of the month's possibilities. Lots of buzzards showed up too.

CELEBRATE! SMRF/TPWD SETTLE FISH HATCHERY DISCHARGE PERMIT DISPUTE

The San Marcos River Foundation (SMRF), with TRPA (Texas River Protection Association) the Sierra Club, and Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) reached a settlement in Decembe,r avoiding an expensive public hearing on the discharge permit for TPWD's A.E. Woods Fish Hatchery on Staples Road. The parties agreed to these limits:

BOD(Biochemical Oxygen Demand) -- 5 mg/L
TSS (Total Suspended Solids) -- 10 mg/L
Ammonia Nitrogen -- 1 mg/L
Discharge rate -- 5 million gallons per day (MGD)
In lieu of the lower limits on TSS and discharge rate sought by the SMRF, TPWD agreed to a legally binding side agreement with SMRF as follows:

When River flow falls to 65 CFS (cubic feet per second) or below, TPWD will limit both their withdrawals and discharges to 2.5 MGD. When River flow drops to 60 CFS or below, TPWD will cease discharge and limit withdrawal to 0.5 MGD, just for life support. (SMRF computer model analysis shows that this will satisfy the Texas Surface River Stream Standards.)

In addition to the permit limit on TSS of 10 mg/L, TPWD agrees to operate the treatment facility as efficiently as possible to achieve the lowest practicable TSS level. TPWD further agrees to consider changes in TSS limits if the plant performance is better than estimated. (SMRF contracted with the Edwards Aquifer Research Center Lab to conduct a simulation of the treatment plant capability which concluded that the plant as designed should be able to reduce the TSS to well below 5 mg/L, as SMRF hoped.)

TPWD agrees to make a good faith effort to reuse 10-15% of the hatchery wastewater in the next five years of operation.

TPWD agrees to provide regular opportunities to review the performance of the plant in assuring an acceptable water quality. They also agree to allow SMRF access to the fish hatchery for obtaining samples for ongoing research to improve the discharge.
The SMRF Board considered this final settlement a reasonable compromise which should assure minimizing harm to the San Marcos River. Since SMRF's efforts to get treatment for the fish hatchery's discharge began in early 1996, a lot more is known about the River through the scientific studies conducted by both SMRF and TPWD. The quality, flow and aesthetic beauty of the river will be significantly improved by this treatment plant and the reuse of the water that their treatment makes possible. SMRF is grateful to TPWD for building a good treatment plant, one of the best in the country because TPWD recognizes the unique treasure that is the San Marcos River.

The three major point sources of pollution (San Marcos, Camp Gary, and the A.E. Wood Fish Hatchery) into the San Marcos River now have treatment plants that should all be on line by this coming summer, due mostly to persistent efforts of SMRF to draw attention to these pollution sources. Now on to the the new power plant discharge issue! SMRF is looking at the City's plans to bring a discharge from the cooling towers of the huge new power plant being built near Posey Road to the River, and will keep members informed in coming months. There is never a dull moment.

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IS THE RECENT RAIN THE END OF THE DROUGHT? YOU WISH!

San Marcans were shocked to find almost 3" of rain in their gauges the end of the first week in January 2000. What a great millenium omen! Local rainfall is still very short of average though, and so the River flow on Jan. 10 is only 117 cfs (cubic feet per second). The Aquifer's J-17 index well still shows 665 feet which means that San Marcos is just in its routine year round conservation mode for now, and not the emergency stages that require much stiffer water conservation rules. Of course, this doesn't mean a thing to SMRF members. They conserve all the water they can year round, every year, because they know what that means to the River--increased flows. Take the time this winter to talk a neighbor into planting native grasses and plants to lower their water bills and help preserve the aquifer. Lots of non-native plants and lawns die during droughts, so it is a great opportunity to replant with better suited species, which will need much less watering and fertilizing. Natural is beautiful, and preserves habitat for native birds, butterflies, and animals as well. This kind of water conservation is truly painless, and can also save lots of money in the long run.

CITY LOOKS AT PROTECTING AQUIFER FROM DENSE DEVELOPMENTS WITH NEW RULES

Stricter rules for developments over the recharge zone of the aquifer are being considered by the City of San Marcos. The River Foundation is trying to assist by offering technical information from Doucet and Associates, an well known engineering firm, to the Citizens' Task Force and the Planning and Zoning Board, who are developing the ordinances. As growth explodes in central Texas, careful preservation of natural resources like water is the only way to preserve the quality of life in the region. Watch the paper or SMRF's email network for information regarding meetings that SMRF members can attend, or other ways to make their views known to their elected officials.

EZELL'S CAVE CLEANUP DAY ON FEB. 5, & RESEARCH WITH NATURE CONSERVANCY

There will be a workday to cleanup the Ezell's Cave Preserve on Saturday, February 5. Workers will meet at 9 a.m., and bring gloves, trashbags, and brush clearing tools and rakes. To get further details, email wassenich@sanmarcos.net to get on SMRF's email network. Notices will be sent via email closer to the date of the cleanup, and discussed at the annual meeting Jan. 27th by Jon Cradit, volunteer Cave Preserve Steward for the owners of the property, the Nature Conservancy.

SMRF has a new project with the Nature Conservancy that will be an ongoing effort to see how development affects the water quality in the aquifer. Several thousand dollars worth of research equipment is being donated by the National Park Service to SMRF to be used in this effort to monitor the water in Ezell's Cave, a direct entrance to the Edward's Aquifer. Future issues of this newsletter will have more information on this increasingly important project as the area around the cave is built upon. John Burch, an SWT graduate student and Marshall Jennings of the Edwards Aquifer Research and Data Center are assisting on this project to test round-the-clock, with additional tests when the water level rises suddenly from rainfall.

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