SAN MARCOS RIVER FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER VOL. 11, NO. 1
Printed Quarterly -- January 10, 2001

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING AND BOARD ELECTION SET FOR JANUARY 31

All members of the San Marcos River Foundation (SMRF) as well as all those who are interested in learning more about ways to protect the San Marcos River are welcome at the annual meeting/party SMRF holds for the membership. This year the meeting/party will be at Aquarena Center on Wednesday, January 31, at 6 p.m. in the large meeting room near the entrance and gift shop. A program conducted by Ron Coley, manager of the educational facility at the headwaters of the River, will detail all the interesting outreach work that Aquarena is doing with schools, teachers, and communities in central Texas and beyond. As always, this meeting will be a very festive event that the community is invited to, a fun annual gathering of people who care about the San Marcos River. The annual Board election will be held at this membership meeting (see details on nominees in page 2 article) and an annual financial report will be available for discussion. Members will make suggestions to the Board for the coming year, and the work of the past year will be reviewed. This is the only meeting of the year held specifically for members, but members are always welcome to participate at any of the quarterly Board meetings or the monthly work meetings during the year, and members can be involved in all aspects of SMRF's work for the River. Visitors are also welcome to any SMRF meeting, including this annual party.

PRESIDENT'S COMMENTS

The third annual plunge into the River on New Year's Day was certainly a fun, if frigid, event this year, with around 20 plungers and 25 observers. Thanks to Chef John Hohn for cooking the hot dogs and chili. He chose NOT to plunge in, since he had been in the river every week this year, tubing and writing his column, "The Millenium Tuber". The hot chocolate and steaming black-eyed peas were also devoured quickly after the plunge, and the whole party was over in an hour, as folks headed for their warm homes.

Just before the plunge, a deer came running across Sewall Park from University Drive and jumped in the River to escape his canine pursuer, floating quite a distance downstream before getting out. The concrete banks made it impossible for the deer to climb out, and there certainly is a lot of concrete surrounding the upper river. Seeing the deer's courage, everyone decided they could do it too---the river was much warmer than the 34 degree air temperature. The short swim in the fast current was pleasant enough, but the cold wind encountered as the swimmers climbed out was another story! Bundling up quickly, the group devoured the hot food and drink and visited briefly with new friends and old before moving on to their own New Year's Day activities.

SMRF has many new projects planned for 2001, please come to the annual membership meeting and party on JanJohn Hohn explauary 31 to hear about them, join our email list for weekly updates, and help SMRF protect the flow, natural beauty, and purity of the San Marcos River. The Board of SMRF needs your input, as they plunge into a bold new year of projects.

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COME TO THE COTTAGE KITCHEN LUNCHEON ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 11 A.M. TO 1 P.M.

SMRF cooks a great lunch for the community every February, and everyone can help by cooking, baking, serving, or just coming by to eat lunch! The menu always includes a vegetarian option, and wonderful home-baked pies and cakes. Lunch is served at the Cottage Kitchen, at the corner of Hopkins and C. M. Allen in the restored rock house also called the Charles S. Cock House Museum, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The price is $4.50 without dessert, or $6 with, and includes beverages. The SMRF menu will once again be Italian turkey sausage in marinara sauce with red bell peppers, over parmesan polenta squares, with green salad and fresh garlic bread. The luncheon benefits the Heritage Association, who was instrumental in funding the original endowment of SMRF, to the tune of about $30,000 over the years. So please show up to help, and to say thank you to the Heritage Association. Mark calendars at work, put up a notice at work, tell everyone, bring them to lunch, or pick up to-go plates. SMRF wants to sell out! The Cottage Kitchen is a good place to eat on any Friday, of course. There's always good food cooked by Heritage Association supporters. Call Dianne Wassenich at 393-3787 to volunteer your help to SMRF on February 2nd, if you have time to bake, cook, or serve.

THANKS TO RETIREES, AND NEWS OF BOARD NOMINATIONS
FOR ELECTION AT ANNUAL MEETING

Mark Boucher, who has served two full terms (three years each) on the SMRF Board of Directors, is retiring. His work over these six years has been much appreciated, especially his steady efforts on the data base of members, no small task, and on the Investments Committee. Dana Ray, who is currently the Board Secretary, will be moving away in the coming year since she and her husband Lex sold their business. She has one year left on her three year term that a new Board member will be elected to complete, and of course SMRF and San Marcos will miss her and Lex very much. Dr. Alan Groeger and Dianne Wassenich have completed their first terms and will run for second terms, which are the maximums allowed in SMRF's bylaws. So only two "new" Board nominees are needed for this election.

The nominating committee, consisting of Mark Boucher, Therese Whalen and Dianne Wassenich, came up with two excellent suggestions: Jon Cradit and John Hohn. Jon Cradit is nominated for the one year left on Dana's term, and John Hohn is nominated for the full three-year term that is open. Cradit is an inspector with Hays County's Environmental Health Department and formerly worked for TNRCC (Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, the state's environmental department). Jon and his wife Lisa have three sons. Jon's parents, Don and Laura Cradit, are riverside landowners in Martindale, so Jon grew up swimming and paddling on the River. He tells stories of the days before canoeing came into style, when they would shoot the rapids in jon boats. Jon has been an avid caver, and volunteer steward of the Nature Conservancy's Ezell's Cave in west San Marcos for 18 years. He has been directing the SMRF effort in the past year to get their water quality testing equipment in the cave repaired and operational.

John Hohn is a local attorney, with an office in downtown San Marcos that he restored with his nephew, who also offices there. His practice involves many environmental cases, since his previous career was as an EPA attorney in the Northwest, handling pollution cases in Alaska and other parts of Washington and Oregon. He also has an engineering degree and worked in that field before becoming a lawyer. Most folks know him as the Millenium Tuber, who tubed the River every week all during the year 2000. In warm weather, he actually tubed much more often than that. His column about these adventures ran for the past year in the Chautauquan. John has been an active SMRF member for many years, working on many projects like the T-shirts, salamander pin, the beautiful River map on the kiosk at City Park by the tube rental, and various water flow measuring and surveying projects.

The Board of SMRF has approved these nominations, and now the slate will be voted on by members at the annual meeting on Jan. 31. If a member wants to make another nomination this can be done according to SMRF's bylaws by mailing in those nominations with signatures of 10% of the total SMRF membership attached, or a nomination can be made from the floor at the meeting, if seconded by 25% of the members in attendance. Officers will then be elected for 2001 by the Board at the first Board meeting after the annual meeting/party.

NEW PHONE NUMBER FOR THE RIVER RANGERS

The San Marcos River Rangers have a new phone number, so their Volunteer Coordinator Mary Rocamora, wanted SMRF members to know it has changed. It is still a local San Marcos number: 557-7571. Those who wish to go through the training to learn how to do accurate and detailed water quality testing can call her to see when the next training sessions are scheduled.

GREENHOUSE LECTURES IN FEBRUARY

The Greenhouse Interpretive Center at Riverside and IH 35, on the west side of the highwayat the River, sponsors lectures and events for interested adults. On Saturday, February 10, at 11 a.m., a native plant nursery owner, Dan Hosage, will talk about medicinal plants of Texas, and prepare "Comanche Tea". Dan established his Madrone Nursery in 1986, and has sold over a million native plants. Dan holds the patent on a special weeping variety of Texas Redbud. On February 21, a Wenesday at noon, the Greenhouse will have a Brown Bag Luncheon Lecture with Murray Owen of U. S. Fish & Wildlife discussing biological invasions of spring-fed Texas streams. For information call 393-8448, and reservations are always a good idea, since there were 25 people at their last Brown Bag Luncheon Lecture on composting. Come just to see the native plant gardens that are being planted behind the Greenhouse by local adopting groups. Ask how to be come a garden adopter.

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DEZAVALA ELEMENTARY STUDENTS STUDY RIVERS AND WATER

One of the six educational grants SMRF gave to area teachers this past year was to Duane Trujillo of DeZavala Elementary for his fourth grade classes. His students are researching and writing about rivers and water systems with the additional help of a student intern teacher, Cheryl Latchford, and will enjoy a field trip this spring to the San Marcos River. Their recent presentation about their studies, pictured above, was attended by several SMRF members, their principal Yolanda Almendarez, and a photographer from the Hays Free Press who ran a photo on the front page that week. The students slipped drawings into a large television-shaped box and spoke into a foil microphone labeled H-2-0 TV, to simulate a TV newscast about their studies.

LIFETIME OR PATRON MEMBERS OF SMRF

SMRF members, including many patron or lifetime members, all received a newsletter last month that had an article on the first page explaining that it was time for the annual dues, with a return envelope inserted. Many of the newer patron members were surprised, and SMRF wants to apologize for neglecting to note in the newsletter that patron or lifetime members are not expected to send in annual dues. This is usually noted in the annual dues appeal somewhere, and was left out inadvertently this year. This might be a good time to publish the list of patron members and THANK THEM for their generous donations of over $500 that entitle them to lifetime membership in SMRF. Many were founding members fifteen years ago, and more members join the list every year. Some of them have passed away, but they are remembered with gratitude for their far-sighted effort to protect the River. If any patron members are missing from this list, please contact the data base manager for SMRF, Mark Boucher, at 754-8075.

BIRDER VOLUNTEERS URGENTLY NEEDED AT BIRDING COUNT, AQUARENA, FEBRUARY 16 & 17

Margaret Russell, Educational Coordinator at Aquarena Center has invited birders to volunteer to help with the Great Backyard Bird Count on February 16 & 17 at Aquarena. Classes of schoolchildren will be coming to learn how to use binoculars, how to identify some common migrant birds, and enter the data on a chart. The children will see demonstrations about migratory patterns, bird needs, and do other fun activities. The volunteers are specifically needed from 9:30 to 1:30 on the 16th, demonstrating the binoculars for around 20 students, or showing a group of 8 students how to identify the birds and enter them on the survey chart. The activities on the 17th are from 9:30 to 4, when the students will do surveys, as well as bird house building, mistnetting, bird banding, origami folding, seeing raptors and playing migration games. Pick an hour or two that would be practical, and volunteer to Margaret at 245-7557 or margo.russell@altavista.net , or 512-835-6657. Spread the word to every birder in town!

The evening event on Friday, February 16, will be a lecture by Marsha Reimer, TPW biologist, who will speak about her thesis research on the birds of Aquarena. Aquarena has been nominated for the Central Texas Birding and Nature Trail currently being composed by Texas Parks & Wildlife. Aquarena will provide a free glass bottom boat ride, about two hours after the last public boat runs. Thanksgiving Coffee, a company that markets coffee grown in an environmentally sound manner that does not destroy rain forest canopy, thus protecting bird habitat, will distribute coffee samples. Sounds like a deluxe birding event in San Marcos!

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SPRING RIVER CLEANUP MARCH 3 WILL CLEAN UP THE WHOLE SAN MARCOS RIVER

Mark calendars now, and plan to be in town and turn out to help clean up the whole River, all the way to the confluence with the Guadalupe in Gonzales. The more experienced canoe clubs from all over Texas will cover the lower River, since that can be a serious challenge in these high flow periods. In San Marcos, and around the road crossings, there is a need for bank walkers and less skilled paddlers. Canoes are provided by TG Canoes and Spencer's Canoes, and information about which areas need workers can be obtained from coordinators Tom and Paula Goynes. Free camping is provided for out of town cleanup workers at Goynes' Pecan Park Retreat and Spencer's Shady Grove Campground. Goynes coordinates with cities, counties, industries, and private landowners for the disposal of the trash accumulated at each crossing by paddlers and bank walkers. He can also use assistance in picking up some of the trash to bring it from those sites to a central location, where Green Guy Recycling picks up items that can be recycled or properly disposed of, if banned from landfills (tires, for instance).

A thank-you barbecue dinner will be provided by the San Marcos River Foundation at Shady Grove Campground in Martindale, and locals are encouraged to bake desserts, since around 300 servings will be needed. There will be a vegetarian option. For information about the cleanup call the Goynes family at 392-6171. To volunteer to bake or help set up the dinner serving line, call Dianne Wassenich at 393-3787. Watch the newspaper for details about the gathering Saturday, March 3, 10 a.m. at City Park in San Marcos and the Thank-you dinner in Martindale that evening at 6.

WHOOPING CRANES FEEL EFFECTS OF LONG DROUGHT

SMRF members will recall an article in last winter's newsletter re the whooping cranes' problems with lack of food and fresh water, like similar articles in 1996 newsletters. There was very salty water in San Antonio Bay because of the dry conditions in central Texas lowering the amount of fresh water flow from the Guadalupe which pours into that Bay. (The San Marcos River flows into the Guadalupe.) Crabs cannot reproduce in such salty water, and so the cranes' favorite food was in short supply. The Aransas Wildlife Refuge biologists ordered the burning of some prairie grass last winter, to make acorns more visible as a back-up food supply.

This year, more drought means no crabs again, and also no acorns, because the dry conditions at the coast kept the live oaks from producing acorns this summer. River flows dropped close to the low levels of 1996. The cranes are now going to deer feeders, looking for corn. The damp winter conditions down there cause aflatoxin fungus to grow in the corn, which is toxic to the birds. In addition, biologists charged with watching and counting the cranes are worried about the cranes wandering far afield from the Refuge on San Antonio Bay. They are looking for fresh water to drink and alternative food sources, but this exposes them to predators like bobcats, highway traffic, and hunters. Also, anytime the birds are weakened from lack of food and water, they are prone to diseases like avian tuberculosis.

When the cranes arrived back in Texas this winter, after the tough winter last year and the long flight to and from Canada, around 20 had not made it back. They hatched over 30 chicks up in Canada, but only 9 survived and made it to Texas. Altogether, the flock suffered 10% mortality last year, and conditions are worse this year than last. (In a normal year, the flock increases 3 or 4 % per year.) Only this week, in mid-January, has enough rain fallen that the cranes can actually drink the bay water again. The food situation is still desperate. The biologists down at Aransas are very concerned about enough flow being left in the Guadalupe to keep San Antonio Bay healthy, and more people are realizing that the entire coastal fishing and recreation industry depends on this river water, not to speak of all the humans and wildlife at the coast who also need fresh water.

SMRF has drawn attention to this situation by notifying the press, and talking to U. S. Fish & Wildlife staff, as well as Texas Parks & Wildlife (TPW)and the Guadalupe/Blanco River Authority (GBRA). The two central Texas springs, San Marcos and Comal, make up most of the flow of the Guadalupe River at San Antonio Bay in dry times, so SMRF is most definitely interested in this serious situation, and will continue to update members in the newsletter, as well as weekly email updates. When SMRF first discussed this issue in '96, there was less general understanding of the connection between central Texas growth and coastal bay problems. This is not the case this year, since studies of the bay and estuary needs have been completed by TPW. All parties contacted by SMRF this year are willing to work on this issue, clearly understand the concerns of the Aransas Wildlife Refuge and the coast.

WOOD DUCK PAIR AT RIO VISTA DAM

A pair of these ducks has been at Rio Vista Dam for over a month, in the company of the motley crew of various domestic ducks that frequent that area. The River Pub & Grille is a good place to watch these ducks from indoors, if the weather is too cold to be outside. Wood ducks are not rare in San Marcos, but still not as common as they are in New Braunfels on Landa Lake. Ducks Unlimited has placed nest boxes for ducks on riverside land of SMRF members in the past year.

WAITING ON JUDGE'S RULING ON BED & BANKS CASE

Judge Paul Davis of Travis County District Court in Austin heard the Bed & Banks case Friday, January 19th, and found plenty of questions for all the lawyers there. For those who still find this case confusing, here it is in simple form for all three sides, after many years of hearings and court dates. This case will have precedent-setting impact on the whole state.

The City of San Marcos claims that it can hold on to its sewage after it is discharged into the San Marcos River because the sewage is groundwater originally pumped from the aquifer. (Now we all know that most of the City water is currently from Lake Dunlap, but just pretend that all the water comes from the aquifer, for this purely legal argument about just the aquifer water the City uses.) The City claims that it can pull out this "private" water anywhere it wants to downstream, and it should NOT have to consider any environmental needs or downstream water rights that have been granted in the past hundred years while the City has been discharging that water into the River. Even if the River is so low that aquatic life is struggling to survive, the City can still pull its water out, because they think it is theirs alone, not public water that the state can regulate in any way, even though the City puts it into the River.

The TNRCC, the state department which regulates water discharged into rivers and pumped out of rivers in order to protect environmental needs, wildlife, and the people of Texas and their interests, says that TNRCC has the right to put restrictions on the City's permit, even though the City's wastewater can be considered their private water as long as they don't put it into the river. In other words, TNRCC thinks that the City can reuse it in any way they want, sell it to whoever they want, as long as they don't put it in the River. Once the City puts it in the River, they have to abide by the State's rules for withdrawing water, which take into consideration environmental needs and downstream water rights already granted.

Finally, SMRF strongly objects to the City's idea that this water they dump into the River, which is not as good in quality as the River water, is the City's private water to pull out anywhere they want, no matter what this does to the River, or aquatic life, wildlife, or anyone downstream. SMRF encourages re-use that does not involve discharging into the River, since discharging waste into the River impairs its oxygen levels, especially if flows are diminished further by pulling out the sewage just downstream after it is diluted in the River. For the City of San Marcos to sue TNRCC to remove the restrictions that TNRCC put on the City's withdrawal permit (which protect environmental needs by stopping City pumping when the River gets down to dangerously low flows) is a terrible and embarrassing example to set for the rest of the state, and directly opposite the sentiment among the citizens of San Marcos for their River. SMRF further objects to the arbitrary treatment received at the hands of the TNRCC Commissioners during the two year hearing in that department, in which several aspects of the case were decided by Commissioners BEFORE the hearing, not allowing due process of the law, and changing all legal precedents in previous rulings of the TNRCC for decades. It made the hearing a weak joke.

The case has dragged on for so long, over three years now, that the legal expenses for both SMRF and the City have become astronomical. The City calls its legal fees "Edwards Aquifer" expenses in their budget every year, obscuring the real use. The City Council is not well informed by their staff regarding their lawyer's statements, and so they do not realize what their lawyers are doing. The City claims to have saved the aquifer by fighting the Texas "rule of capture" of groundwater, but it used this antiquated law to defend their case in District Court, further confusing the public and the City Council. But Judge Davis clearly understood. Toward the end of the January 19 session, he asked the City's attorney, Bob Wilson of Austin, "Do you mean that even if it dried up the River, the City has the right to pump?" Without a second's hesitation, Wilson said, "Yes!" The ruling by this court should be out soon.

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MARCH MEETING OF MONITORS

The annual meeting of the Texas Watch Volunteer Monitors, who test water quality in streams and water bodies all over Texas, will be in San Marcos on March 30 and 31 this spring. The San Marcos River Rangers will be one of the many groups attending, and one of the activities scheduled will be a canoe trip on the San Marcos River. SMRF members have helped paddle some of these visitors in the past, so stand ready with paddles to help, and mark calendars now with this date. Other fascinating field trips and lectures include, exotic species and fresh water mussel studies, a trip to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Refuge on McCarty Lane for endangered species, a trip to Bamberger Ranch, talks about a desalination project on the Gulf Coast, "Gardening for Clean Water", the aquifer, funding, and "Cyberways and Waterways". Discounted registration is due March 7, call Texas Watch in the Geography Dept. at SWT for rates, which vary according to activity.

SESSOM AND UNIVERSITY DRIVE INTERSECTION CHANGES

Conflicting reports about whether the widening of this intersection will bring Sessom's pavement even closer to the River has led SMRF to measure and survey the existing curb and pavement distance from the River, just as a precautionary measure. The Parks Board of the City has voted that a letter be sent from their board to the City Council, asking that the road come no closer to the River. SMRF will follow this issue and also consider sending a letter, if it becomes necessary.

COLIFORM COUNT IN RIVER, CITY POLICY IN NOTIFYING PUBLIC

After the rumors and confusion during this past summer's peak swimming season, with coliform counts in the thousands for weeks with no public notification that the River might be dangerous to swim in, the City has decided to formulate a policy guideline for the exact numerical counts that would trigger public notice. In addition, the various City departments that do River testing have begun to actually tell each other what the results are, and test on specific different weeks so that three weeks of the month are covered. There is no word yet on what coliform counts would trigger public notice, or what kind of public notice would be done, after how many repeated tests. SMRF will report on this new policy in the next newsletter. The state's danger guidelines involve counts over 200.

RIVER FLOWS

The San Marcos River was flowing at 258 cubic feet per second (cfs) on January 18, and at 1,500 cfs in Luling because of a big rainfall the week previous. The Guadalupe River at Tivoli, near the mouth of the River where it flows into San Antonio Bay, measured 2,650 cfs on January 18. Quite a difference from last September, when the River measured around 100 cfs in San Marcos, and 400 cfs down at the mouth of the River near Tivoli. Unfortunately, no one wants to water their St. Augustine at this time of year, when there is plenty of water. Of course, the San Antonio Bay that this River system feeds at the Gulf Coast is just now, in mid-January, getting diluted to the proper salinity for survival of the wildlife there after two very damaging dry years, so the fresh water is not exactly wasted by letting it go to the bays and estuaries.

SMRF BOARD MEETS AT AQUARENA HOTEL

Just before the hotel closed in September 2000, SMRF met on the deck of the historic building, enjoying the beautiful surroundings during their meeting. Some members stayed till after dark to watch the albino catfish swimming in the lake in the moonlight. The hotel is now closed for remodeling, and will become offices for the new Texas Rivers Center at San Marcos Springs, built by Texas Parks & Wildlife, and operated by Southwest Texas State University.

LOCAL INDUSTRIAL WATER ISSUES DRAWING ATTENTION FROM SAN MARCOS CITIZENS

Reports that AMD is considering San Marcos as the site of their very large new chip-making plant have resulted in plans for several public forums to discuss the impacts of AMD on the current residents. As of this newsletter's writing, a firm date has not been set for any forum, but SMRF members should be closely watching the local papers for dates. Water, of course, is one of the main issues that must be considered in such a large expansion of San Marcos population and industrial base. Depending on how many units are built, 1,000 to 2,000 employees will be hired, and the job skills needed will mean that many of these jobs will be filled by people not currently residing in San Marcos. Water needs could use all of the amount San Marcos currently has the rights to.

There is at least one company that has proposed contracting with AMD to treat all of AMD's water and discharged water for re-use by AMD. If AMD decided to make this happen it would solve many of the industrial water and wastewater related problems. AMD could just keep using the same water, and San Marcos would not have to go looking for so much more water. Water is getting increasingly expensive and scarce, and those who truly understand the shortages in the region see no reason that potable drinking water should ever be used for industrial uses. In fact, studies by A&M last year found that wastewater was actually better for steel cooling towers than fresh aquifer water, causing less corrosion.

Not so easily solved is the fact that a sudden leap in numbers of San Marcos residents would require infrastructure investments (like roads, sewer lines, water lines) while large tax breaks typically given to industries to lure them to a city would mean that the industry would not help pay for these costs. Other issues that will be discussed (hopefully before the City Council offers an incentive package of tax breaks to AMD) include air quality damage by many solvents used in chip making. The City's Master Plan has stated for years that water and environmental issues are to be considered in drawing any industry to San Marcos Most citizens expect the City Council will use that qualifier as it considers tax breaks for AMD, since the Master Plan is a City ordinance, prepared with input from the citizens of San Marcos.

ALCOHOL BAN CONSIDERED FOR PARK SYSTEM

Because drinking by groups in City riverside parks has become a problem, along with the trash generated, the subject of an alcohol ban in the parks has come up. SMRF plans to invite local law enforcement officials to a meeting to inform the SMRF Board about the pros and cons of a ban. There is currently a ban on alcohol in the Childrens Playscape Park, but since that park is not fenced off, and the boundaries are not distinct, the ban is unenforceable. To add to the mix, New Braunfels recently banned alcohol in their riverside parks and many of the problem drinkers were college students from San Marcos, according to the list of ticketed violations. So local officials are concerned about what this summer will bring to the San Marcos River, if alcohol is allowed here. There are many who insist on alcohol as part of their park experience, so permits for a group to have alcohol at an event in the park, in designated areas like the pavilions, would be available through the Parks Department (in one suggested solution to that concern). Further legal research is being done on the New Braunfels alcohol ban, and continued discussion will be done at civic group and City board meetings this spring. Please watch for public meetings announced in the local papers on this topic, and attend to give input and ask questions.

GOOD NEWS FROM EVERY DIRECTION ON WATER ISSUES

Before Governor Bush left Texas, his Conservation Task Force printed up a final report of recommendations, and much of their advice on water reads like a dream come true! If the Legislature follows this advice, Texas rivers will continue to flow and environmental needs of even the bays and estuaries on the coast will be met. Preserving green space in Texas was also listed as a priority, though this Task Force thought that conservation easements, leaving the land in the hands of landowners, was the way to go.

In addition, two entities critiqued the Regional Water Plans just finished up all over Texas this fall, and these critiques were excellent. Andy Sansom, head of Texas Parks & Wildlife (TPW), came out strongly for the need to preserve some stretches of Texas streams as ecologically unique, which the regional planners had not had the foresight to accomplish. He also spoke out for the instream flow needs of rivers and streams, and freshwater needs of bays and estuaries, which the regional groups did not put into their plans for future water needs (except for Galveston Bay). TPW's recent studies that showed Texans care very much about water and worry about environmental needs must have had an impact on his willingness to speak up in the face of much criticism of his stand.

The other critique of Regional Water Plans that was excellent news for the environment came from the National Wildlife Federation. Myron Hess, their Texas staff member, wrote the critique, which is thoughtful and detailed. See it on their website at www.nwf.org and the San Marcos River is in region is Region L. Region K also has projects in its plan that will take Colorado River water and feed it to San Antonio, so that Region's plan is worth researching as well.

CONSIDER SIGNING UP AS AN ADOPTER OF A STRETCH OF THE SAN MARCOS RIVER!

To see a contract, call 393-8448. This program is a cooperative effort between SMRF and the City of San Marcos Parks Department. The City handles contracts for sites inside the City, but sites outside the City can be adopted by calling 393-3787.

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