RESTORING THE WATERWAYS In 2022, conservation e orts to maintain the spring systems produced the following results to create a better habitat for protected species, such as the fountain darter in the Comal.
The Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan began in 2013 with the goal of restoring the immediate aquatic habitats around each spring. These are some of the highlights from projects
completed in 2022. CONSERVATION ON THE SPRINGS
NEW BRAUNFELS
SAN MARCOS
PROJECTS COMPLETED IN THE COMAL SPRINGS WATERWAY:
LANDA LAKE: Native aquatic plants were reintroduced, and invasive species were removed to make room.
3,114 native aquatic plants were reintroduced totaling 181 square meters
SPRING LAKE: More than 1,100 cubic yards of invasive aquatic vegetation were removed by boat.
6.5 square meters of invasive Hygrophila (a plant used in aquariums) were removed
LANDA PARK
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The following invasive species were also removed:
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109 armored sail n cat sh
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SAN MARCOS RIVER
672 tilapia
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DID YOU KNOW? The Comal Springs are the largest in Texas with seven major springs and dozens of smaller ones all located in Landa Park, lling Landa Lake.
DID YOU KNOW? There are more than 200 springs from three large ssures that make up the San Marcos Springs along with many smaller openings which ll Spring Lake.
5 nutria
SOURCES: EDWARDS AQUIFER AUTHORITY, CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS, TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY IMPACT
habitat for the fountain darter to have a more robust population even during low ow periods, Kollaus said. Aquatic vegetation restoration, the removal of invasive aquatic vegetation, the removal and control of nonnative sh species, litter removal and water quality protection are some of the measures that go into the habitat con- servation plan to ensure each unique ecosystem remains clean and useful. Maintaining the waterways For 2022, the EAA reported sig- ni cant native aquatic vegetation restoration and invasive vegetation removal from both the Comal and San Marcos springs waterways. Thousands of native aquatic plants were reintroduced to the old channel, Landa Lake and Comal River in New Braunfels, increasing the natural hab- itat of the springs for the endangered species. Similar e orts were made in the Old Channel Restoration Reach. In addition to those restorative e orts, nonnative Hygrophila—an invasive species that chokes native wildlife—was removed from the Comal River system. Armored sail n cat sh, tilapia and nutria were also removed. Nutria—the beaver-like large rodents that are native to South America and found along both waterways—are
the cities of New Braunfels, San Mar- cos and San Antonio—acting by and through the San Antonio Water Sys- tem; and Texas State University work collaboratively to enact the plan and partially fund it. Kollaus said those permittees on the habitat conservation plan have an overlaying goal of helping to provide optimal spring ow through conserva- tion and irrigation abatement e orts to provide a habitat for the survival of the species, as well as insure the river sys- tems remain adequate for recreation. All of the participating entities all somehow use the spring systems or the aquifer through pumping, so to counter what is taken away from the spring systems, each must participate in the conservation e orts. “So that’s kind of like the whole justi cation of why we have this [plan],” Kollaus said. The governing entities are also entered into an aquifer storage and recovery spring ow protection pro- gram, whereby a certain amount of water from the aquifer is reserved and stored away until the annual recharge of the aquifer averages above a 500,000 acre-feet threshold, accord- ing to the EAA.
particularly important to remove from the ecosystem, said Phillip Quast, watershed coordinator for the city of New Braunfels. “The nutria actually damage the habitat directly for the endangered species,” Quast said. As conservation e orts continue, those involved in the work are able to point to speci c benchmarks that indicate what their next steps are in preservation, such as the reintroduc- tion of native Texas wild rice that is choked out by invasive plants. “We have already hit our goal for Texas wild rice expansion and pretty much every targeted section of river,” said Christopher Riggins, a research biologist and lead of the Meadows Center’s Habitat Field Crew at Texas State University. “We’re also about to reach our next goal [for 2024], which is the reduction of invasive species where it’s basically all bulk removal. Major patches and sections in the river have all been removed. So [we’re] just having to learn how to maintain that e ort.” Tackling use and protection There are ve governing entities—or groundwater pumping permittees—to protect the groundwater resources of the Edwards Aquifer and its endan- gered species that inhabit it. The EAA;
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The EAHCP—or habitat conser- vation plan—is a cooperative e ort bringing together multiple city, state and federal stakeholders to protect groundwater resources of the south- ern portion of the Edwards Aquifer, both for people in the region and the endangered species that inhabit the aquifer. The habitat conservation plan began in 2013 and runs through 2028, though the renewal permitting process has begun, according to the Edwards Aquifer Authority. During periods of low water ow and signi cant drought events—such as the ongoing drought—e orts to remove invasive plants and animals from the waterways are ramped up to help in the survival of 11 protected species in those waterways, said Kristy Kollaus, a biologist and envi- ronmental scientist with the EAA. “For each particular species, we have certain habitat measures, either mitigation or improvement. So par- ticularly if we’re going to look at the fountain darter—which is found within both systems [the Comal and San Mar- cos springs]—you see a lot of people out there [making] e orts to remove non- native aquatic vegetation and replant with native aquatic vegetation,” Kol- laus said. These e orts should improve
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NEW BRAUNFELS EDITION • FEBRUARY 2023
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