
SMRF helped begin the San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance which has dedicated itself to the creation of parks and green spaces and building trails in the midst of unprecedented development and growth in the city.
Working with developers, the City of San Marcos, Hays County and other local state and national entities, SMGA and SMRF work to secure natural areas, promote stewardship, provide low impact access and promote high quality development standards. Green-spaces and trails not only provide recreational opportunities to local residents and visitors but they play a significant role in flood mitigation in a very flood prone city. Stormwater is also filtered naturally by healthy ground cover which means runoff in the river contains less sediment and pollutants. Natural areas in critical recharge areas also allow rainfall to percolate into the aquifer and recharge the springs, ensuring adequate flow in drought or low rainfall years.