Cypress Creek Project



HOME ABOUT Vision Background Partners Glossary MAPS & DATA Maps Reports Photos Monitoring NEWS Join Newsletter Meetings EDUCATIONCONTACT US ForumSITE MAP		News Cypress Flows - Quarterly Newsletter: Volume 1, Number 2, Fall 2008 (PDF 1783 KB) Archives: Volume 1 Number 1 Summer 2008 (PDF 771 KB) In the news: Jacob's Well Stops Flowing Emergency 30% reduction in water use called for Wimberley, Texas - Oct. 27, 2008 Jacob’s Well, the famous natural spring known to be the longest underwater cave in Texas, stopped flowing for the second time in recorded history on the evening of October 20th. “ The lack of rainfall and the continued pumping of the aquifer to serve local water supply has caused Jacob’s Well to cease flowing,” stated Jack Hollon of the Wimberley Valley Watershed Association (WVWA) and the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District. Concerns about Aquifers in Central Texas Aired Wednesday, September 3, 2008 \| Kerrville Daily Times (TX) A large crowd packed the Groundwater Management Area 9 meeting last Friday in Kerrville to discuss future conditions of the area’s aquifers. Groundwater experts from nine counties — Bandera, Blanco, Comal, Hays, Kendall, Kerr, North Bexar, North Medina and South Travis — are developing a plan for the aquifers for a 50-year period. Several in attendance expressed concern about the process that GMA 9 is using to determine the future conditions — specifically that the 1950s “drought of record” is not being considered. (GMA 9 determines future conditions by running data through groundwater availability models.) Attendees were concerned the drought of record numbers were not being put in the models. The 1950s drought was catastrophic in Texas and affected every part of the state. Jennifer Walker of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club spoke about the drought of record numbers.“You must perform a drought of record analysis in order to determine your future conditions,” she said. Many speakers echoed those words. GMA 9 Coordinator Ron Fieseler said they are considering those numbers even though they are not in the models. Several people felt GMA 9 should hold off making any decisions until more data could be collected. Wimberley Spring to Become Park Sunday, August 31, 2008. Turning Wimberley's Jacob's Well into a protected natural area took a step forward last week, when the Hays County Commissioners Court allocated $2.6 million in parks bond money to the project. The 55-acre Jacob's Well Natural Area was purchased in 2005 by the Wimberley Valley Watershed Association, which took out a $2 million loan. The $2.6 million approved Tuesday will go to retire the debt from the purchase and to start the process of rehabilitating and renovating the area, said County Commissioner Will Conley. "Jacob's Well is a regional and statewide natural wonder that is cherished by this community," said Patrick Cox, president of the watershed association. Jacob's Well is a pristine spring fed by the Trinity Aquifer that emerges from the longest underwater cave in Texas. The spring forms the headwaters of Cypress Creek, which runs through Wimberley. The popular Blue Hole Regional Park is on Cypress Creek. Plans at the well include the removal of impervious cover, construction of hiking trails, rainwater collection systems, an aquifer research center, a retreat and conference center and outdoor classroom. Read the entire article at the San Antonio Express News HAYS COUNTY APPROVES FUNDING FOR JACOB'S WELL NATURAL AREA Tuesday, August 26, 2008 Hays County Commissioners Court voted on August 26 to allocate $2.6 million in parks and open space bond funds to the Wimberley Valley Watershed Association (WVWA) for the first phase of Jacob's Well Natural Area project. Jacob’s Well is an artesian spring thought to be the longest underwater cave in Texas and the primary source of the Cypress Creek. The spring flows downstream through the City of Woodcreek and Wimberley into the historic Blue Hole swimming area. See the full article on Wimberley Valley Watershed Association site. CYPRESS WEEK! Saturday, July 27 to Sunday, August 2nd was Cypress Week. Cypress Creek project was out in the community talking with locals about the creek. Look for an account of your experiences with Cypress Creek, and other data collected during Cypress Week, coming soon. See the Hays County Proclimation! (PDF 66KB) County springs for Jacob’s Well Posted by Brad Rollins on March 1, 2008 at 7:47 pm by BILL PETERSON Senior Correspondent Without controversy or argument, though with much enthusiasm and applause, the Hays County Commissioners Court voted unanimously Tuesday to issue $3 million to the Wimberley Valley Watershed Association (WVWA) for the preservation of Jacob’s Well west of Woodcreek and Wimberley. Click here to see the full article on NEWSTREAMZ.com. Click here to join our Newsletter. Click here to see our Meeting Schedule and Calendar.
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Jacob's Well Stops Flowing
Emergency 30% reduction in water use called for
Wimberley, Texas - Oct. 27, 2008
Jacob’s Well, the famous natural spring known to be the longest underwater cave in Texas, stopped flowing for the second time in recorded history on the evening of October 20th. “ The lack of rainfall and the continued pumping of the aquifer to serve local water supply has caused Jacob’s Well to cease flowing,” stated Jack Hollon of the Wimberley Valley Watershed Association (WVWA) and the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008 | Kerrville Daily Times (TX)

A large crowd packed the Groundwater Management Area 9 meeting last Friday in Kerrville to discuss future conditions of the area’s aquifers. Groundwater experts from nine counties — Bandera, Blanco, Comal, Hays, Kendall, Kerr, North Bexar, North Medina and South Travis — are developing a plan for the aquifers for a 50-year period. Several in attendance expressed concern about the process that GMA 9 is using to determine the future conditions — specifically that the 1950s “drought of record” is not being considered. (GMA 9 determines future conditions by running data through groundwater availability models.) Attendees were concerned the drought of record numbers were not being put in the models. The 1950s drought was catastrophic in Texas and affected every part of the state. Jennifer Walker of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club spoke about the drought of record numbers.“You must perform a drought of record analysis in order to determine your future conditions,” she said. Many speakers echoed those words. GMA 9 Coordinator Ron Fieseler said they are considering those numbers even though they are not in the models. Several people felt GMA 9 should hold off making any decisions until more data could be collected.

Wimberley Spring to Become Park
Sunday, August 31, 2008.
Turning Wimberley's Jacob's Well into a protected natural area took a step forward last week, when the Hays County Commissioners Court allocated $2.6 million in parks bond money to the project. The 55-acre Jacob's Well Natural Area was purchased in 2005 by the Wimberley Valley Watershed Association, which took out a $2 million loan. The $2.6 million approved Tuesday will go to retire the debt from the purchase and to start the process of rehabilitating and renovating the area, said County Commissioner Will Conley. "Jacob's Well is a regional and statewide natural wonder that is cherished by this community," said Patrick Cox, president of the watershed association. Jacob's Well is a pristine spring fed by the Trinity Aquifer that emerges from the longest underwater cave in Texas. The spring forms the headwaters of Cypress Creek, which runs through Wimberley. The popular Blue Hole Regional Park is on Cypress Creek. Plans at the well include the removal of impervious cover, construction of hiking trails, rainwater collection systems, an aquifer research center, a retreat and conference center and outdoor classroom.
Read the entire article at the San Antonio Express News

HAYS COUNTY APPROVES FUNDING FOR JACOB'S WELL NATURAL AREA
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Hays County Commissioners Court voted on August 26 to allocate $2.6 million in parks and open space bond funds to the Wimberley Valley Watershed Association (WVWA) for the first phase of Jacob's Well Natural Area project. Jacob’s Well is an artesian spring thought to be the longest underwater cave in Texas and the primary source of the Cypress Creek. The spring flows downstream through the City of Woodcreek and Wimberley into the historic Blue Hole swimming area. See the full article on Wimberley Valley Watershed Association site.

CYPRESS WEEK!
Saturday, July 27 to Sunday, August 2nd was Cypress Week. Cypress Creek project was out in the community talking with locals about the creek. Look for an account of your experiences with Cypress Creek, and other data collected during Cypress Week, coming soon. See the Hays County Proclimation! (PDF 66KB)