What you need to know
The Texas State University System Board of Regents approved the land purchase for $4.5 million Nov. 20, allowing the university to take ownership of an ecologically sensitive area and continue efforts to preserve it.
Acquiring the property is part of a commitment to environmental stewardship on behalf of Texas State University, per a release shared by the system.
The details
The property is located northeast of Spring Lake and Spring Meadows, adjacent to the Spring Lake Natural Area, a city of San Marcos-owned park protected for several environmental features.
The Sink Creek property contains a karst feature known as an estavelle, which functions as a sink to recharge the Edwards Aquifer with precipitation run-off when levels are low, or as a spring to discharge flow into Sink Creek when levels are high, according to Kimberly Meitzen, a professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at the university.
The area is also part of the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, and the springs feed into the Upper San Marcos River.
What they're saying
Being located within the Sink Creek Watershed provides an opportunity for students to further study local ecology, said Robert Mace, director of The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment.
“Sink Spring and Sink Creek are directly connected to San Marcos Springs and the San Marcos River,” Mace said. “The university’s acquisition of this property protects the quantity and quality of our water and provides unique research opportunities for our students.”
What's next?
In addition to conservation of the environment around the creek and potential education or research opportunities, the property's proximity to the Spring Lake Natural Area, which has a network of natural trails running through it, could provide a future connection to a larger regional trail linking Austin to San Antonio, per the release.
