Cave dig - June and July 2007

Most of our Water Quality Protection Lands sit directly over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone. Karst features, such as sinkholes and caves, are conduits through which water enters the aquifer, so we want to manage these karst features to ensure that we have good water quality and quantity. We can manage for water quality by ensuring that the karst feature's watershed is covered by healthy native vegetation. A healthy plant community prevents erosion by holding the soil, and may help filter out pollutants. How do we manage for water quantity, though? Some of our karst features were intentionally filled with trash before people became aware of their important ecologic functions. Others inadvertently filled with dirt when poor land management practices caused increased erosion. When trash and dirt fill karst features, their ability to take in water is decreased.

Photo by Tone Garot

To increase the amount of water entering three of our karst features, volunteers held "cave digs" last June and July. Removing debris from caves is a time consuming process, and volunteers are essential in helping making this work happen. We often receive assistance from expert cavers who belong to the UT Grotto, a local caving group.

Invasive Species Mapping at Onion Creek- July 2007

Invasive species are one of the major threats facing wildlands. Almost half of the plants and animals on the endangered species list are negatively impacted by invasives. Our volunteer land stewards have led several workdays at Onion creek this summer to map the location of invasive plant species. This data allows the staff to know more about the tract than they would otherwise. We will use it to prioritize our invasive species removal over the next few years.

Arroyo Restoration Research at Onion Creek - June 2007

The Wildland Conservation Division wanted to stop erosion and the formation of a gully on an arroyo that feeds into Onion creek. We also wanted to know more about the best management practices for small intermittent stream bed restoration.

Photo by Marc Opperman

Luckily, we have a volunteer land steward who has an interest in both riparian restoration and in research. He grew over 100 big muhly grasses at his house and worked with city staff on an experimental design. A volunteer crew installed erosion control fabric and planted the grasses in early June. We used two different planting methods to see which one will work best. Our volunteer land steward is monitoring the survival of these plants. The information he gathers will inform future restoration projects.

Karst Inventory at Onion Creek - May 2007
Karst features (caves and sinkholes) are often places where water flows into the ground and enters the Edwards aquifer. If we can find the karst features, it will help inform our land management decisions. To find the features, volunteers form lines, and march over the property. When they find a feature, they write down its GPS coordinates and a short description. This information is then entered into the city's Geographic Information System. Volunteers searched over 60 acres for karst features last May, and found some which may be significant recharge features.

Photo by Daniel Dietz

Juniper cutting at Knoll - April 2007

We manage the Water Quality Protection Lands for both water quality and quantity. Sometimes our water management goals allow us to perform ecological restoration as well. For example, research indicates that if a property is covered with woody species, the amount of water that reaches the ground (and thus the aquifer) is dramatically reduced.

Photo by Ingrid Morton

Before European settlement, many of our properties were probably open savannas, grasslands that were interspersed with small groves of trees. By reducing the amount of woody vegetation on our properties, and planting more native grasses, we are not only managing the aquifer correctly, we are also restoring the native vegetative communities. Our volunteer land stewards play a significant role in helping us remove juniper from our properties. This group cut 20 acres of juniper seedlings that were beginning to invade an area that had been cleared in 2003. Without regular maintenance by volunteers, this area would eventually become a woodland again. In the past, fire would have kept the re-growth to a minimum, but fire is not a viable tool at this location because of its steep slopes.

Overseeding at Onion Creek - March 2007 MVP

Prescribed fire is a tool that the city employs to maintain grassland savannas on their Water Quality Protection Lands. Prescribed fire can also create ideal conditions for planting seeds by removing thatch that would normally prevent good contact between the seeds and the soil.

Photo by Gail McGlamary

A healthy grass cover filters water before it enters the aquifer and increases water infiltration into the ground. While the city uses a tractor and seed drill to do much of the work, some areas are too rocky or brushy to use this equipment. That's where the volunteers save the day. One of our Volunteer Land Stewards led several groups this March and April in spreading native grass seeds across over 300 acres. This Hays County Master Naturalist has been instrumental in the restoration of this site. Our goal is not only to replace much of the Ashe juniper with grasses, but also to replace the invasive exotic King Ranch Bluestem with native bunchgrasses. The WQPL management plan states that these native grasses hold the soil better than King Ranch bluestem, thereby decreasing erosion and increasing water infiltration.

Special Onsite Project - Guided Hikes

Since June of 2005, a cadre of volunteers have been taking turns leading interpretive monthly hikes on the Slaughter Creek Management Unit that is part of the Water Quality Protection Lands Program. These volunteers donated 14 hours of their time to receive training on the history of the property and the WQPL program, methods of land management, how to lead interpretive hikes, and first aid. Through their efforts the Division is able to offer monthly hikes on the First Saturday of every month and periodic special offerings. This effort has also served as a pilot program for incorporating volunteer tour guides into the Division's outreach efforts that will be repeated on other WQPL properties and on some BCP properties.

Photo credit: Gail McGlamery