Invasive Species Removal and Other Watershed Protection Activities in the Upper San Marcos River T h e second i t e ration of Impl e me nt at io n Ph a se I in t h e U ppe r Sa n Ma rco s Rive r Watershed P rotection Pl a n ha s hi t t h e gro und r unning! Th is 319 fund ed pro ject of f i c i al ly k i c ked of f late 2020 a nd is a col l a bo rat ive pro ject w i t h Th e Mea d ow s Ce nt e r fo r Wat e r an d the Envi ronme nt, the Sa n Ma rco s G ree nb e lt Allia nce , t h e Ci t y of Sa n Marco s , an d t he Me r mai d S ociet y of Texa s . The ma in co m po ne nt s of t h is gra nt inc lud e re st o rat i o n wo rk i n t he S essom Cree k Natura l Area as we ll a s ex t e nsive ed ucat io n a nd o ut rea c h p ro g ram s . T h e watershed tea m is exci ted to sh a re a ll t h e pro gre ss co m plet ed in yea r o n e of t he p roj ect as well a s what is to come ! Th e re st o rat io n po r t io n of t he Se sso m Cree k Nat ura l Area p ro j ect is spea rh ea d ed by t h e Ci t y. T h e Nat ura l Area is in a c r uc i al l o cat i o n in t h e wat e r sh ed d ue t o i t s u p s t ream lo cat io n in re lat io n t o t h e S an M arco s Rive r a s t h e sur ro und ing d eve l o p m e nt m a ke s i t m o re susce pt i bl e t o po llut a nt s a nd t h e la nd el evat i o n inc rea se s e ro sio n fro m s t o r mwat e r r unof f. Re st o rat io n a ct iv i t i e s ove r t h e pa st yea r h ave inc lud ed r i p ar i an re st o rat io n by re m oving i nvas i ve t ree s suc h a s ligust r um , c hi n e s e t a llow, a nd t ree of h eaven ; n at i ve a nd ca no py t h inning t o i m p rove und e r st o r y pla nt e st a b lis h m e nt ; a nd co m plet io n of ve getat i ve f i l t e r Co m p leted Vegetati v e F ilt e r St r ip in Se ssom Cre e k Na tu ra l Are a st r ips t o re m ove sed im e nt an d o t he r p ol lutants fro m runof f . Future re s t o rat io n w ill inc lud e pla nt ing nat ive ve get at i o n an d st ream restoration. T he natura l a rea h a s a lrea dy b eco m e a n o ut sid e la b o rat o r y fo r Texas St ate Uni versi t y, improving the tea c h ing a nd lea r ning ex pe r ie nce s fo r b o t h s t u d e nt s an d p rofessors. In addi ti on to the re s toration work in t h e Se sso m Cree k Nat ura l Area , t h e Sa n M arco s G reen belt A llia nce s pea rhea ded the d eve lo pm e nt of a Co m m uni t y Tra il Pla n fo r t h e fu t u re of the natura l a rea . The pl a n inc lud e s a nat ure t ra il, m a int e na nce , a nd ed u cat i o n al si g nage that wil l b e inte grated into t h e nat ura l a rea o nce re st o rat io n wo rk i s co m p l et e . T h e edu cati ona l s igna ge wil l hig hl i g ht unwe lco m e inva sive ve get at io n, no np o i nt s o u rce p ol luti on , n atura l s ol utions for nat ura l pro b le m s, t h e co nf lue nce of Se sso m C ree k an d Wi n dmi ll Tri b uta r y, a nd wil l a l s o inc lud e a t ra ilh ea d sign ex pla ining revi t a liz at i o n e f fo r t s i n t he p ark .
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2022 B A S I N H I G H L I G H T S R E P O R T
