Cypress Creek Project



HOME ABOUT Vision Background Partners Glossary MAPS & DATA Maps Reports Photos Data NEWS Join Newsletter Calendar EDUCATIONCONTACT US Watershed Committee SITE MAP		News Cypress Flows - Quarterly Newsletter: Volume 3, Number 2, Summer 2010 Cypress Watershed Meeting - June 8 Cypress Creek Watershed Characteristics Meet the Committee: David Baker Science Corner: Water Quality in the Cypress Creek Watershed Cypress Creek Project Updates About the River Systems Institute Volume 3, Number 1, Winter/Spring 2010 Cypress Creek Watershed Project - Economic Subcommittee Update A Local Perspective: Anne and Harvey Mabry What is a CCN? Rainwater Harvesting System Science Corner: Monitoring Storm Flows in Cypress Creek Meet the Committee: David Glenn Water Conservation Tips Is the presence of E. coli a Perennial Issue in the Wimberley Valley Watershed? What You Can Do - Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off About the RIver Systems Institute Volume 2, Number 3, Fall 2009 (PDF 1.6 MB) Diversity of Perspectives is Key Determined Subcommittees Light the Path A Local Perspective: Sam Rivers Excerpts from “Cypress Creek: Past, Present, Future” New Water Quality Monitoring Stations Science Corner: Partnering with USDA-ARS Joint Meeting of HTGCD and Cypress Creek Watershed Stewards Workshop Meet the Committee: Gordon Linam Empowering the Public: Education and Outreach What You Can Do - Impervious Cover About the River Systems Institute Archives: Volume 2, Number 2, Summer 2009 (PDF 2.6 MB) Cypress Creek Project Takes Another Leap Forward A Local Perspective: Jimmy Ash Hays County Leadership Charette Jacobs Well Natural Area Cleanup What’s Next for Cypress Creek Project What Can You Do? Cypress Creek Watershed Rain Gauge Network Science Corner: Modeling the Cypress Creek Watershed Meet Our New Chair: Scott Johnson About the River Systems Institute Volume 2, Number 1, Spring 2009 (PDF 3.5 MB) What’s Next for Cypress Creek Project A Local Perspective: Martha Knies Citizens Can Make a Difference Wimberley Wastewater Project Picking Up After Your Pet Children and Nature: The Wimberley Outdoor Educators Science Corner: Water Quality and Storm Runoff Groundwater and Cypress Creek Cypress Creek Citizens Working to Protect Their Watershed About the River Systems Institute Volume 1, Number 2, Fall 2008 (PDF 1783 KB) Cypress Week What’s Next for the Project? What We Heard You Say Watershed Facts A Local Perspective: Malcolm Harris Water Quality Monitoring at St. Stevens Developing Your Sense of Place Science Corner: Land Use in Cypress Creek Maintaining Your Septic System To Much or Not Enough? About the River Systems Institute Volume 1 Number 1 Summer 2008 (PDF 771 KB) Watershed Management Plans What’s Next for the Project? Science Corner Education and Outreach Projects Cypress Creek Watershed A Local Perspective – Jack Hollon What Can You Do? In the news: Wimberley asks for attorney general's opinion on water protection powers Opinion could have implications across Hill Country. By Asher Price AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Monday, October 19, 2009 An upcoming opinion by the state attorney general on whether Wimberley can regulate development in areas outside its city limits could have implications across the Hill Country. Water company withdraws Woodcreek request Public voices its outrage about water loss at groundwater district meeting By Asher Price, Austin American-Statesman Staff - Friday, July 10, 2009 WIMBERLEY — A water supply company on Thursday withdrew a controversial request to pump more water from beneath a parched portion of northern Hays County. Aqua Texas had asked the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, which regulates pumping of underground water, to permit it to increase its pumping by 10 percent so it could supply water to new development in the small town of Woodcreek. Memo Concerning the Cypress Creek E.Coli Levels (PDF 49 KB) To Cypress Creek Stakeholders from Jason Pinchback, Cypress Creek Project Manager Memo - March 5, 2009 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.
River Systems Institute at Texas State University Contact Us • Site Map © 2008

Opinion could have implications across Hill Country.
By Asher Price
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Monday, October 19, 2009
An upcoming opinion by the state attorney general on whether Wimberley can regulate development in areas outside its city limits could have implications across the Hill Country.

Water company withdraws Woodcreek request
Public voices its outrage about water loss at groundwater district meeting
By Asher Price, Austin American-Statesman Staff - Friday, July 10, 2009
WIMBERLEY — A water supply company on Thursday withdrew a controversial request to pump more water from beneath a parched portion of northern Hays County.
Aqua Texas had asked the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, which regulates pumping of underground water, to permit it to increase its pumping by 10 percent so it could supply water to new development in the small town of Woodcreek.

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)

Wimberley asks for attorney general's opinion on water protection powers

Opinion could have implications across Hill Country. By Asher Price AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Monday, October 19, 2009 An upcoming opinion by the state attorney general on whether Wimberley can regulate development in areas outside its city limits could have implications across the Hill Country.

Opinion could have implications across Hill Country.
By Asher Price
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Monday, October 19, 2009
An upcoming opinion by the state attorney general on whether Wimberley can regulate development in areas outside its city limits could have implications across the Hill Country.