Headwaters at the Comal is New Braunfels Utilities, or NBU, legacy project. The public-private partnership showcases green infrastructure, protection of the Comal River and historical elements associated with the Comal Springs and Edwards Aquifer, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.
The project
The expansion is being developed in three phases.
Phase 1 of the expansion was completed in 2017 and included construction of a picnic area and covered pavilion accessible to the public. Managing Director Nancy Pappas said the goal for Phase 1 was also to prevent stormwater runoff with pollutants from entering the Comal River, which ended up decreasing by 90% following the completion of the first phase.
Pappas said the goal was to capture water on-site and for it to be absorbed by native plants and grasses while creating opportunities for the community to understand more about the Comal Springs.
Phase 2 construction—which began in 2023—will include construction of a new building equipped with a meeting space for up to 200 people people, board-style conference room and screened education space for programs and exhibits.
The third and final phase of the project involves transforming an existing building into a representation of the Edwards Aquifer ecosystem. There will be an open roof, which will have a variety of innovative features such as pollinator-attracting plants and sail clothes with a step pool in the courtyard that will fill and drain with precipitation, representing the Gull of Mexico, Pappas said.
The cost
The project nonprofit organization's $28.5 million expansion is being funded through donors, the New Braunfels Economic Development Corporation, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and NBU, Pappas said.
"We are trying to connect people to their water source here and help them understand that we all play a part in protecting it and preserving it,” she said.
Looking ahead
Phase 2 of the project is anticipated to be completed in 2025. The entirety of the project is slated to be completed by the end of 2026, Pappas said.
