Stewardship: Texas State earns restoration honors for lake project

San Marcos Texas State University has won a Community Stewardship Award from the Envision Central Texas organization for the Spring Lake Aquatic Restoration project.

Texas State was honored in the Natural Infrastructure category during a special presentation held recently in Austin.

The Natural Infrastructure category recognizes an individual, company, organization or governmental entity for planning and beginning implementation of a significant project designed to enhance or protect the regions environment and natural resources.

The Spring Lake Aquatic Restoration includes the removal of structures associated with the former Aquarena Springs theme park, grassland restoration, removal of exotic vegetation, establishment of a vegetated buffer zone between Spring Lake and the adjacent golf course and removal of all submerged structures associated with the former theme park.

The goal is to restore in-stream aquatic habitats, wetland resources and water quality conditions to benefit resident and migratory wildlife species in Spring Lake.

The project is being done in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Spring Lake is home to eight federally-listed endangered species. It is also the site of significant archaeological resources, with artifacts showing the site has been inhabited by humans for 13,000 years, making the location unique in North America.

Envision Central Texas presented Community Stewardship Awards in six categories. In addition to the natural infrastructure award, presentations were made for new development, redevelopment, public planning and policy, innovation and raising public awareness.

Envision Central Texas, a regional non-profit planning organization, was created in 2001 to lead and implement the development of a regional vision to address rapid growth in Central Texas. Its mission is to serve as a catalyst for regional cooperation and planning to help preserve and enhance natural resources, economic vitality, social equity and the quality of living in Central Texas.

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Stewardship: Texas State earns restoration honors for lake project