NewsDrop-June-2024

EAHCP | COLLABORATION FOR CONSERVATION

By: Olivia Lopez , Habitat Conservation Coordinator

New bilingual signage now located along the San Marcos River and Landa Lake in New Braunfels.

San Marcos River - before restoration (2013).

San Marcos River - after restoration (2024).

Once upon a time, the Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan (EAHCP) was just a concept, a vision for balancing the needs of threatened and endangered species and water resources within the delicate ecosystem of the Edwards Aquifer and the Comal and San Marcos Springs’ systems. Back then, it took years to develop and approve the long-term plan for competing interests: urban development, recreation, and conservation.

San Marcos River - Before construction of permanent access points for recreation and bank stabilization (2013).

San Marcos River - after construction of permanent access points for recreation and bank stabilization (2024).

of protecting environmentally sensitive areas. And innovative water manage ment strategies like Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) and the Voluntary Irrigation Suspension Program Option (VISPO) have safeguarded adequate springflow during drought conditions. But the work is far from over. Climate change looms as a new threat, bring ing with it unpredictable weather patterns and increasing pressure on water resources. The EAHCP and accompanying Incidental Take Permit authorized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently undergoing a permit renewal

process. The renewed conservation strategy will work to incorporate lessons learned and impacts from climate change for the next 30 years. Armed with the successes of the EAHCP and a commitment to collaboration, the threat ened and endangered species that depend on the Edwards Aquifer face the future with optimism. The EAHCP Stakeholders now know that by working together, they can continue to protect this precious ecosystem for generations to come.

After nearly 12.5 years of implementation of the 15-year plan, the EAHCP has changed the landscape of the Comal and San Marcos Rivers that origi nate from the Edwards Aquifer. For example, non-native elephant ear plants no longer dominate the banks of the San Marcos River. Eroded riparian zones along the Comal River spring runs are now blooming with native vegetation. Parking lots and drainage ditches now feature innovative bioretention basins to filter out pollution from stormwater before it enters endangered species’ habitat. Signage along the San Marcos and Comal Rivers are installed in key recreation areas to share the message of the EAHCP and the importance

Now, the EAHCP stands as a testament to collaboration and innovation. Years of negotiation, coordination, and scientific research have led to a comprehensive plan that protects the unique species that call the Edwards Aquifer and springs systems home while providing water resources for millions of people in South Central Texas. Before the implementation of the EAHCP, the region’s iconic species like the endangered Texas blind salamander and endangered Texas wild-rice were facing uncertain futures, their habitats threatened by erosion, encroachment of invasive, non-native aquatic vegetation, and declining water levels. Now, these species have a fighting chance.

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