
SMRF volunteers kept an active watch over river gauges during the reconstruction of a damaged dam to ensure the survival and propagation of Texas Wild Rice (zizania texana), a unique plant found only in the two mile stretch of the upper San Marcos River.
Requiring a steady and constant flow, Texas Wild Rice was listed as an endangered species in 1978 and pumping from the Edward’s Aquifer is now regulated to ensure river flow and protect the rice.
SMRF partners with the US Fish & Wildlife Service and provides volunteers for their Annual Wild Rice Survey and assists other government agencies conducting river research and fish surveys.