Community
BY ETHAN THOMAS
Headwaters at the Comal begins final phase of $29.3M expansion project
Digging deeper
The goal of the Headwaters is to help residents understand where their water comes from and how individual actions can contribute to long- term protection of the region’s most vital natural resource, Pappas said. “The Comal Springs are really the heart and soul of the community. Whether they’ve lived here forever or for generations, or they’ve just moved here, they love living here because of that river and the environment that it creates around it,” she said. The 16-acre property contains the uppermost Comal Springs and still houses a working water treatment plant that supplies Edwards Aquifer water to the city, Pappas said.
Headwaters at the Comal, a nonprofit organization that offers pre-K nature camps and other educational programming, has begun the final phase of a multimillion-dollar expansion project. The organization is New Braunfels Utilities’ legacy conservation project, which is working to transform a historically and environmentally significant site into a public-facing community resource. Phase 3 is planned as the centerpiece of the site’s revitalization and will feature a large-scale, immersive representation of the Edwards Aquifer ecosystem, Headwaters Managing Director Nancy Pappas said. Designs for the third phase call for a courtyard structure using sail-like elements to illustrate the region’s limestone geology and how water moves through the aquifer. Rain chains, constructed wetland cells and a closed-loop wastewater system will demonstrate aquifer recharge, the connection between the Comal River and downstream bays and estuaries along the Texas coast, Pappas said. Interpretive elements and archaeological exhibits will highlight the site’s human history, which dates back more than 10,000 years, predating European settlement, Pappas said. Final landscaping and parking improvements are underway for Phase 2. Construction on Phase 2 began in 2023 and focuses on repurposing a former 6,400-square-foot warehouse into a low-impact education and outreach facility, as previously reported by Community Impact.
Breaking down the cost Phase 1: $5.5M
Total $29.3M
Phase 2: $12.9M Phase 3: $10.9M
Looking ahead
SOURCE: HEADWATERS AT THE COMAL/COMMUNITY IMPACT
The renovated structure features rainwater- harvesting cisterns for irrigation and water- efficient design elements to reduce energy and water use, Pappas said. Phase 2 also included the construction of a new parking area across the street. The lot incorporates low-impact development techniques, including a rain swale that captures and treats stormwater runoff before it flows into Blieders Creek and ultimately the Comal River. The goal was to prevent pollution from entering the Comal River by diverting more than 12,000 pounds of contaminants through green stormwater infrastructure, Pappas said.
Construction of the project’s final phase has begun and is expected to be completed in early 2027, NBU officials said. The Headwaters will continue to offer tours, camps and educational programming during construction.
Phase 1: 2016-2017 Phase 2: 2022-2025 Phase 3: 2025-2027 Construction timeline
SOURCE: HEADWATERS AT THE COMAL/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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