SMRF’S 21st ANNIVERSARY PARTY AT PRICE CENTER ON FEBRUARY 4TH

The always-festive annual membership meeting of the San Marcos River Foundation will include a quite spectacular silent auction this year. (See list on p. 3 with websites listed for the donating businesses.) A big party will be held February 4th at the SMRF office in the Price Center at 222 W. San Antonio in downtown San Marcos. The beautiful and historic building has many rooms with plenty of space for the party. A buffet supper will be served, for which SMRF volunteers will be cooking up and baking their specialties.

The buffet begins at 6. The annual membership meeting will be called to order at 7. The annual “Friend of the River” award will be given, and a new “President’s Award”. Board members will be elected (see article about nominees on page 2), a 2005 financial report will be presented, and then the SMRF board will take suggestions from the members and answer questions. All members, or those who wish to join, are cordially invited. A complete silent auction list as of the printing date of this newsletter starts on page 3, and be sure to thank the generous donors of these items!

To help with the with the decorating, cooking, planning, silent auction, party setup or cleanup---call today and volunteer on the SMRF office phone line: 353-4628. Decorating will start on Thursday for the Saturday event.

8th ANNUAL PLUNGE ON NEW YEAR’S DAY

An unusually warm and sunny New Year’s Day brought out a big crowd to join SMRF members in the annual plunge into the river at noon, in Sewell Park near the University Drive bridge. Over 100 people attended. (See photo below.) Temperatures were in the balmy 80’s. A year ago the river was flowing at almost 360 cubic feet per second. But this year the aquifer was at the very low flow of 134 cfs according to the USGS gauge. The water was clear, and many swimmers floated far downstream, enjoying a lengthy swim on the beautiful warm day.

Thanks to Jack and Marie Fairchild who brought the grill and supplies and served hot dogs for the crowd, and many who helped carry and set up the tables and serving lines. The Wassenichs also made 3 gallons of black-eyed peas for good luck, and a vat of hot chocolate which both plungers and observers enjoyed to the last drop.

The Plunge is just for fun, celebrating the beautiful river that San Marcos is so lucky to have. Many people come just to watch or photograph the plungers. All ages enjoy New Year’s Day this way every year at noon at Sewell Park. This was the 8th Annual Plunge.

(Photo was included in the printed and mailed copy of the newsletter includes some of the river plungers getting out and some swimming on, by member Kevin Ryan.)

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Although this will likely be only the first step in a long battle, SMRF’s water right case will be taken up by Judge Covington of Travis County 261st District Court Monday, January 30, 2006, at 8:30 a.m. These proceedings will give us a real feel of what the arguments are and how the Judge responds to them.

In one corner is SMRF, supported by the National Wildlife Federation, Environmental Defense, Texas Committee on Natural Resources, the Caddo Lake Institute, Matagorda Bay Foundation, Galveston Bay Foundation, Galveston Bay Preservation and Conservation Association, and Save Our Springs Alliance. In the other corner is defendant Texas Commission for Environmental Quality, supported by San Antonio River Authority, San Antonio Water System, the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, and Texas Water Conservation Association--- a lobbying association of water purveyors.

The court convenes at 8:30 a.m. and it will be worth the price of admission (zero) to be there for the excitement if you can. We’ll be carpooling so call if you want a ride.

On another subject, as individuals we need to be careful in the coming election year to separate political rhetoric from real facts in finding support for water/river conservation. After all the Republican administration of Richard Nixon established the Environmental Protection Agency, signed the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts and the Endangered Species Act into law. This follows the conservation tradition initiated by Teddy Roosevelt of setting aside land for National Parks and Wildlife Refuges.

Democrats and Republicans recently joined to get the first major water bill passed by Texas in decades. Yet today, Republican Richard Pombo is trying to gut the Endangered Species Act. The clear message from every Texas or nationwide poll taken on the issue is that conservation is a very popular idea with the American people and should be a non-partisan issue. We should urge our friends to insist that all our congressmen follow the clear preference of the public for laws to protect our natural resources for the future.

Finally, I hope you can all come to our annual party at the Price Center, meet your fellow members, elect board members, honor two awardees, bid on our silent auction, and HAVE FUN.
Jack Fairchild, President of the Board

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NOMINEES FOR SMRF BOARD

First, thanks go to John Tolbert, vice-president of the SMRF Board for many years, for serving for six years (two terms) as a board member. John has been dedicated to the mission and work of SMRF, often driving long distances from his work around the state to get to board meetings and SMRF events. He is retiring this year from the board, as is Marcus Rodriguez, who moved to San Antonio during his first term on the board and is having to dedicate a lot of time to his job at Texas Child Protective Services. SMRF appreciates their service.

Every year three of the nine SMRF board members complete their three-year terms. The term limits are two terms, according to the bylaws. If a member wishes to nominate someone in writing or from the floor at the annual meeting, in addition to the slate of nominees prepared for the annual meeting, different percentages of members are necessary to “second” those kinds of nominations. For information about these bylaws, contact President of the Board, Dr. Jack Fairchild at 357-6827 before the annual meeting.

The nominating committee this year (Dr. Jack Fairchild, John Hohn, and Jason Woods) chose an excellent slate of three nominees for the board election. Photos of each nominee followed in the printed and mailed copy of the newsletter, with information below the photos.

Ann Allen, SMRF Treasurer, has agreed to run for another three-year term. Ann is a riverside landowner downstream of Martindale, an artist and Master Naturalist, and a member of Texas Outdoor Women’s Network, who has been invaluable to SMRF for her excellent bookkeeping skills through the complicated recent years in which SMRF received large grants.

Judy Telford lives in the country east of San Marcos and so she has cows, a donkey, and lots of dogs and cats. Retired from Texas State University about five years ago, she helped people with their computers as a systems support analyst for over 20 years. Living in San Marcos since 1962, she has a great interest in preserving the river. Retirement brought her the time to do some community volunteer work, so she is a Master Naturalist. Her son Eric of Reedville owns riverside property, and son Jason lives in Iowa City, Iowa.

Annette Paulin-Mendelman, on right, with children Lea and Luke. Annette resides with her husband Eric and children in San Marcos. She has worked 10 years in the environmental field on water quality and watershed management projects. Owner of Live Oak Initiative, she coordinates state-wide water conferences, develops environmental education programs and provides general administrative and project management support to water-related programs. Her joys are spending time with family, cycling around town, swimming in the San Marcos River, and teaching piano in her home studio.

WHAT A SILENT AUCTION THIS YEAR!

Part of the Feb. 4th festivity will be a Silent Auction to raise funds for SMRF’s Water Right Project to preserve flow in the river. Bids can be made by phone to 512-353-4628 (leave on office voice mail) or by email to wassenich@grandecom.net. Supporters all over Texas have donated many outstanding items, and more may be added after this newsletter is printed. Check SMRF’s calendar on the website next week and click on the Calendar entry for Feb. 4 for last minute additions, if you cannot attend the annual party to see all of them there.

Bids will close at 8 p.m. at the party. You need not be present to purchase the items---we’ll notify you if you are the winner. Payment can be done by mail the week after the auction, or by credit card on the SMRF website, once you have been notified that you had the winning bid. Please help SMRF by sending this auction list to friends via email. Send them a link to the Jan. 06 Newsletter on the SMRF website, if you think they’d be interested in bidding. We need to greatly increase the numbers of those bidding, since so many have donated such great items. The incredible list of donated items already covers the next three pages!

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TRIPS AND ADVENTURES

• A weekend guided kayak river trip for 2 to Northern Mexico featuring gorgeous river canyons and waterfalls including Rayones and the Ciudad Valles areas. Provide your own bus ($80 round trip) or plane ticket to Monterrey, or drive down I-35 to the toll road I-85 in Mexico. (Driving is easy and cheap according to Ben Kvanli.) Trip includes boats and instruction, and a pre-trip paddle in San Marcos to get to know each other and plan final details of the trip. Beginners will be fine. See Power Olympic Outdoor Center at www.kayakinstruction.org. Value is $520 for two people. Minimum bid is $300.
  
  
• Guided kayak day trip for 5 to Medina River (beginners okay) and the beautiful Mexico Creek Canyon, near Mico, Texas. A mostly quiet paddle to the Canyon and a walk through it since water is low this year, taking time to swim and have lunch. www.kayakinstruction.org has a photo on the home page. “It is truly the most beautiful place in Texas,” says Ben Kvanli. Includes boats and equipment, lunch and transportation if you carpool from the Power Olympic Outdoor Center in San Marcos in their van (or drive yourself if you live near San Antonio). Value $375 for 5, Minimum bid $200.
  
  
• Private birding boat trip on the Jack Flash for up to six people, donated by Capt. Kevin Sims of Aransas Bay Charters. A whole boat for you and your friends. Go anytime, but whoopers leave Texas around April 15. Roseate spoonbill fluffy chicks are also fun to see in April, and any time of year is a good time for a bay trip for bird photography. Look at all the photos on www.texasbirdingcentral.com and plan your trip to Rockport, which also has great hotels and restaurants. Value $275, Min. bid $140.
  
  
• A weekend Classic Whitewater Class in kayaking from the Power Olympic Outdoor Center in San Marcos. Get ready for the opening of the new rapids at the remodeled Rio Vista dam this summer. See www.kayakinstruction.org. Value $260, minimum bid $150.
  
  
• Airplane ride for one hour with pilot Glenn Longley, the Edwards Aquifer expert, in his 4 seater Cessna 172. Good chance to photograph the creeks and rivers and aquifer recharge zone, your house, and the town. Value $200, Minimum bid $100.
  
  
• Rental of two canoes for a San Marcos River trip, with all equipment and life jackets, and a van shuttle back to your car. Trip starts at City Park, floating to Pecan Park Retreat or a nearby road crossing of your choice, depending on length of trip desired. Donated by TG Canoe Livery of San Marcos, check their website at www.tgcanoe.com for more information on all their services. Value $74. Minimum bid $50.
  

OVERNIGHT RIVER ACCOMMODATIONS

• 2 nights at the Road to Paradise, a beautiful riverside 2 bedroom, 2 bath guest house on the river just downstream of 1979 and Martindale, on 1 acre of wooded land. Everything you need including river beach, full kitchen, linens, Jacuzzi bathtub, TV, canoe, inner tubes, bbq pit. See photos and more on www.marilisa.com/vacationrental. This is a new rental just made available this year, sleeps 4 to 6 on 2 queen beds plus queen futon. Value $300 for 2 nights, Minimum Bid $150.
  
  
• River Dance Resort, 1 Monday or Thursday night in a big guest cottage, on the river near Fentress, about 14 miles downstream of San Marcos. Come to relax, fish, canoe, bicycle with their bikes and canoes. Hot tub, fireplace, everything provided including breakfast. See their website at www.bedandbreakfast.com/texas/river-dance-resort-page. Value $175, Min. bid $90.
  
  
• Crystal River Inn, 1 weeknight (Sunday through Thursday), a magnificent hill country B&B in San Marcos near downtown and the river, well known for its great food, gardens, beautiful rooms with antiques. See www.crystalriverinn.com for all the details. Put up visiting relatives if you don’t have time to enjoy it yourself. Value, $115. Minimum Bid, $60.
  

OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT

• Double-bladed Infusion paddle donated by Austin Canoe and Kayak, new location near the outlet mall in San Marcos. See photo at www.austinkayak.com, click on Accessories, Paddles. Fiberglass with optimal flex and high strength-to-weight ratio. Value $119, Minimum bid $60.
  
  
• Crankshaft double-bladed Infusion paddle (donated by Austin Canoe and Kayak, see website above for photo). Durable and economical aluminum shaft with ergonomical crank shaft and foam grips. Value $129, Minimum bid $65.
  
  
• Cabela’s bbq/smoker/deepfryer/crawfish boiler is made to connect to a small propane bottle. This powder coated dark green porcelain weatherproof unit with cover is all you will ever need for outdoor cooking, very sturdy and adaptable to just about any cooking need. Has all the pans and accessories needed to smoke or grill with charcoal or propane, or deep fry fish or boil up a crawfish dinner. See www.cabelas.com, Camping Food Prep, then Cooking Equipment, then Smokers to see photo and details. Value $130, Min. bid $70.
  

SPECIAL LUXURIES

• Sink Creek Day Spa is a quiet, luxurious retreat donating a sauna, hot tub and one hour aromatherapy massage with scented paraffin wax foot mould. Located in the wooded hill country near San Marcos on Hilliard Road. See www.sinkcreek.com for the many types of spa services offered, and photos of the beautiful spa interiors and deck. You are the only one there at the time you are scheduled, so it is very relaxing and pampering---the ultimate Valentine gift. Gift certificate is for one. Value $90. Min.bid $50.
  
  
• Rolland Krueger Portraits. Included in package is a clothing consultation, site survey, a selection of shots of one family on location, one fully retouched 8 x 10 portrait. Krueger is a master at outdoor portraits, bluebonnet photos of children, weddings, but can do just about any kind of photography you have in mind. There will be many examples to see at the party. Photos can be taken anywhere around San Marcos, but the river makes a beautiful background for the family to gather. Value of family portrait sitting and one 8 x 10 is $150. Minimum bid, $80.
  

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JEWELRY AND ARTWORK

• Print by John Eberhard, donated by Cabela’s, in sunset colors, of bluebill ducks landing in wetlands, , unframed on heavy stock in good flat packing case for transport, about 20x24”.Value $98, Min Bid $40.
  
  
• Necklace and earrings of howlite nuggets with hematite and seed beads, sterling silver findings. Howlite looks like white marble with grey veins, and other smaller beads are dark grey to black. Earrings are for pierced ears, pendant style. Value $48, minimum bid $24. Donated by Bats About Beads, designers Tatjana Walker and Susan K. Hughes.
  
  
• Two sets of silver and glass bead earrings by artist Cathy Croom, Value $25 each pair, Minimum bid $15 each pair.
  
  
• Angel, 10” tall, resin replica of handcarved Four Seasons Angel by Jim Shore of Heartwood Creek Designs, with a look of quilting. See photo at http://ww.collectibleshopping.com/heartwood_creek/2004/117677.shtml.
  Donated by Ann Jensen. Value $40. Minimum bid $20.
  
  
• Framed silk screen print, dark blue and cream, of a quilt with horse weathervane design. Signed, framed in light pickled wood. Value $30, Min. bid $15.
  

RESTAURANTS

• Gift Certificate from The Blue Goat Gourmet---bakery, café, art and desserts. 392-GOAT, 310 Mary St., at the five way stop on Hutchison. Hours 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sunday. Value $20. Min. Bid $10.
  

MEMORABILIA

• Aquarena souvenir, small saucer with hand-painted aquamaid in tutu, swimming underwater, donated by Minette Marr, Minimum Bid $10.
  
  
• Aquarena is the setting for a Silhouette romance novel “Mermaid’s Touch”, found on eBay and donated by Sherwood Bishop, Minimum Bid $10.
  
  
• Aquarena souvenir plate, found on eBay and donated by Sherwood Bishop, Minimum Bid $15.
  
  
• Wonder World souvenir plate, found on eBay and donated by Sherwood Bishop, Minimum Bid $15.
  
  
• San Antonio Hemisphere ’68 souvenir plate, donated by Dianne Wassenich, Minimum Bid, $15.
  
  
  BOOKS, CD’s

• Texas Lost, a book by Andrew Sansom with great photographs by Wyman Meinzer, of the vanishing natural heritage in special places around the state. Signed and donated by the author, who is now the head of the Rivers Institute at Texas State. Value $40 but it is now out of print, so snap it up. Minimum bid $30.
  
  
• Texas Past, a book by Andrew Sansom with beautiful photographs of historic Texas by Wyman Meinzer, starting with cave paintings, ending with the space center. Signed and donated by the author. Value $40 but now out of print, Minimum bid $30.
  
  
• Book of North American Birds has lovely and large color paintings of birds to easily identify them, with a full page written about each bird. Reader’s Digest publication, hard back, and includes a travel guide with best birding spots in each state. Donated by Ruth Wassenich. Value $21.00, Minimum Bid $15.
  
  
• CD of Music River, Original Whitewater Songs and River Ballads, by Brant Miller and Tom Joy of Nashville. Website www.music-river.com. Donated by Anne Olden, Value $15, Minimum Bid $10.
  

FOR GARDENERS AND NATURALISTS

• Two $50 gift certificates for Madrone Nursery, which has an enormous selection of over 300 native species, located on Hilliard Rd. outside San Marcos, just 10 minutes from IH 35. Details at www.home.earthlink.net/~madronenursery/. Bid on each separately. $50 Value, $30 Minimum Bid.
  
  
• Three antique roses donated by LA Landscaping’s Aaron Arguien. Value $20 each, min. bid $10 each.
  
  
• Plant survey by Minnette Marr, field botanist and seed collector. A four-hour survey in both spring and fall, of native plants on any property in Texas located east of the Pecos River. Value $200, minimum bid $100.
  
  
• Bird Feeder made of aromatic cedar wood which repels mites and insects, large size for hanging or mounting on post, National Geographic brand, holds over 6 lbs of birdseed. Donated by Ron and Marie Jager and Grains of Sand Creative Arts. Value $35, Minimum Bid $20.
  
  
• Lovely 20” tall garden angel with hanging wire, handmade of weathered wood by Paula Goynes, Value $35, Minimum Bid $20.
  
  
  
  APPAREL
  
• Dress, loose fitting of 100% beige cotton, calf length in XL with delicate beige on beige floral stitching around collar, short sleeves and small pleats with buttons from neckline to waist, perfect option for a hot summer day. Donated by Ann Jensen, value $30, Minimum Bid $15.
  
  
• Fuzzy, soft and very long scarf hand-crocheted by Dianne Wassenich, aqua and turquoise, value $25, Minimum Bid $10.
  
  
• Save It Don’t Pave It T-shirt by Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance. Minimum Bid $10.
  

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Many more items could be sold in the silent auction, so think about what you can donate for SMRF. Artwork, framed photos, collectibles, dinner parties or picnics, jams, posters, and baked goods, are examples of items that could be donated by supporters. To list your donated item, call 512-353-4628 or cell phone 787-6392 today.

Bids will be taken by phone 512-353-4628 and email until midnight Feb. 3, AND THEN attendees may write down bids during the party Feb. 4. There they can see the items or read about them on special tables set up at the event, in between the eating and drinking and visiting. The bids will close at 8 p.m. the night of the party, Feb. 4, and payment can be made that night or in the following week, in person, via mail or via credit card on the SMRF website (which has a Paypal account).

RIVER CLEANUP SATURDAY, MARCH 4TH

Mark your calendars now! San Marcos will host people from all over Texas and locals are welcomed too. Help clean up the river all the way to Gonzales and tributary creeks too. SMRF will feed every volunteer a dinner that evening. We’ll need hundreds of servings of desserts for the crowd, help with serving and cooking.

Call 392-6171, Tom Goynes, for info re the cleanup, and/or SMRF at 353-4628 to help with the meal and desserts. Canoes will be provided for volunteers by TG Canoes, Spencer Canoes and Austin Canoe and Kayak. Banks and road crossings, and parks like Stokes Park at Thompson’s Islands will need lots of work too, so plan to do a little walking if you don’t want to canoe.

JOIN SMRF EMAIL LIST FOR WEEKLY NEWS

Email wassenich@grandecom.net to get weekly email updates of river and aquifer news, meetings, plus volunteer projects that need help. Be sure to notify SMRF if email addresses are dropped or changed. Note that this is a new email address for Executive Director of SMRF, Dianne Wassenich.

SPRINGS TOUR COMING UP

Stay tuned for a look at the Sink Springs on the DuPont property and the University-owned Rattlesnake Springs nearby. Last year SMRF held a January tour to see the springs when they were at record highs, with Glenn Longley of the Edwards Aquifer Research and Data Center as the tour guide. This year the springs will be quite, quite low unless some miraculous rains fall in the next few months, so it would be a very interesting contrast to view. The DuPont home may be on the annual Heritage Association’s tours during the first weekend of May. If so, SMRF members will be asked to serve as volunteer docents to show off the Sink Spring, and SMRF has also applied to the University to be able to give tours of Rattlesnake Springs on the same weekend. Please call 353-3628 to volunteer to give spring tours for an hour or two, and you will get to enjoy getting to know the springs as well, on your shift.

RIO VISTA DAM CONVERTS TO RAPIDS

When faced with crumbling concrete and imminent collapse of Rio Vista Dam, the City of San Marcos chose to fund a repair job that is an improvement to the old concrete slabs. The dam will be reinforced and covered by natural boulders from this area. The deep slot in the dam that many tubers and canoers have used for years will become a more shallow “rapids” with three stages or pools below the dam. This will allow more fun for recreationists while lessening the steady undercutting effect of the flow over the dam and helping fish and eels swim upstream more easily. The water level in the river will remain exactly the same, upstream of the dam. A company from Colorado is doing the job, which has extensive experience at this type of dam work. See www.wwparks.com for pictures of their work in other states. For a photo of what Rio Vista Dam might look like after the boulders are in place, see the City of San Marcos website News section. Thanks to Tom Goynes and Ben Kvanli for contacting the Colorado company to ask them to assist San Marcos. Construction will begin by March 1 and be finished by Memorial Day this summer. It will be a safer place to play. During construction, be sure to avoid the dam area.

EARTH SHARE OF TEXAS
One environment. One simple way to care for it.

SMRF’s Executive Director Dianne Wassenich was elected to the Governing Board of Earth Share of Texas for a two year term at their Membership Council meeting in Bastrop in January. SMRF is a proud member of Earth Share of Texas, one of over 70 environmental organizations which work together to offer payroll contribution options to many city, state and federal workplaces, as well as many companies, large and small, and universities. For more information see www.earthshare-texas.org or call 1-800-GREENTX.

REGIONAL WATER PLANNING IS TOUGH

Region L, the water planning region that includes the Guadalupe River basin and San Antonio, had a hard time coming to an agreement to send in their water plan to the state. The deadline came in early January and the planning board members did not vote to send in the plan. A new chair was elected in mid-January, Con Mims of the Nueces River Authority. The group did then agree to send in their plan to the Texas Water Development Board, as imperfect as it is, with a letter listing projects that are causing disagreement, and pledging to work on those in the next round of planning.