The new year brings new goals for the Cypress Creek Project, including enhancing water quality ordinances, development of an inter-local agreements among project partners to ensure the longevity of the goals within the Cypress Creek Watershed Protection Plan, and more Best Management Practices (BMPs) throughout the watershed.

This year is quickly coming to an end and 2019 will be here before we know it! The Cypress Creek Project is ending the year the best way possible, as we recently found out we have received federal funds for years 4 through 6 of project implementation. This new contract includes continued watershed coordination, outreach programs, more best management practices (BMPs) and a long-term sustainability plan.

To recap progress on the Cypress Creek Project since our last newsletter, The Meadows Center introduced two new staff members earlier this year that have been great additions to the Cypress Creek Project, installation of best management practices (BMPs) have taken off, a project amendment has been executed to extend funding for watershed protection plan (WPP) implementation through February 2020 and a revised Quality Assurance Protection Plan (QAPP) is awaiting final approval from TCEQ.

Progress is continuing on Best Management Practices (BMPs) in the Cypress Creek watershed. Rainwater harvesting systems are completely installed at Blue Hole Regional Park and Hays County Precinct 3 office, all they need is rain! We are currently in the process of recruiting volunteers to design and install a native-scape at the Precinct 3 facility to be irrigated by the system. If you are interested in helping out with this project, please contact Nick Dornak at 512-213-7389.

Summer is officially here! We hope everyone is enjoying the summer season so far, and that you are finding time to get outdoors. It is the perfect time of the year to explore the beautiful landscapes and water bodies we are so lucky to be surrounded by.

Happy Spring! It’s hard to believe we’re three months into 2018. Much has happened in the last few months and we’re excited to share this update with you. We wrapped up our bacterial sampling study, installed a rainwater harvesting system at the Patsy Glenn Refuge, kept an eye on the compromised dam in Woodcreek and more.

The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment invites the public to attend a free Soil for Water workshop with the Cypress Creek Partnership this Saturday, March 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Wimberley to learn about the relationship between upland and riparian ecosystems and how to monitor soil health across the Cypress Creek watershed.

We hope everyone weathered the recent storms and that you are safe and dry. There’s been a lot happening and we have many updates to share with you. We are still adding content and data to the website, so if there’s something you’d like to see please let us know. We’d also love for you to share anything you think would be valuable to include in our newsletter or news blasts.

The Cypress Creek Watershed Protection Plan aims to ensure the preservation of the long-term beauty, integrity and sustainability of the Cypress Creek watershed and that water quality standards are maintained for present and future generations. The plan incorporates groundwater and surface water components, spans agency jurisdictions, and is comprehensive in its approach for maintaining the balance between natural resource management and economic development.