Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), in conjunction with Texas State University and the City of San Marcos, will hold initial scoping meetings and take public comment on the potential designation of a segment of the San Marcos River as a new State Scientific Area to protect federally endangered Texas wild-rice and its habitat.
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Public input is welcome at the following meetings:
Date and Time: Tuesday, December 6 at 6 p.m.
Where: Texas State University
River Systems Institiute
Texas Rivers Center, Room 107 on Spring Lake
951 Aquarena Springs Drive
San Marcos, TX
Date and Time: Tuesday, December 13 at 6 p.m.
Where: Grant Harris Jr. Building
401 East Hopkins
San Marcos, TX
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Under state law, TPWD may establish a State Scientific Area for the purpose of education, scientific research, and preservation of flora and fauna of scientific or educational value. For the San Marcos River State Scientific Area, TPWD proposes a public awareness program to educate the public about the unique resources of the river and the need to protect Texas wild-rice. If approved, the agency may prohibit the uprooting of Texas wild-rice within the State Scientific Area.
The potential designation of a segment of the San Marcos River as a State Scientific Area is part of the larger Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implement Program (EARIP.) The EARIP is a consensus-based, regional stakeholder process tasked by the Texas Legislature with the development of a plan to protect the federally-listed endangered species while managing Texas' Edwards Aquifer for the benefit of all.
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