In San Marcos, Growth Clashes With Conservation

Rapid population growth and development have stirred concerns over conservation in San Marcos, which was recently named the fastest-growing city in the U.S., as Holly Heinrich of StateImpact Texas reports. The city, which lies over the Edwards Aquifer, is home to the San Marcos Springs, headwaters of the San Marcos River, and to rare and fragile habitats and species. “Development will inevitably increase," said Andrew Sansom, executive director of the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University, which has partnered with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to develop a watershed protection plan for the San Marcos River. But Sansom is "optimistic that the community has come together to create a watershed protection system which will give us the best chances of preserving the resources of the community," he said.