A Tenacious Persistence

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

The Headwaters Sanctuary in Olmos Basin

Today's photos:

With the ongoing drought, the Edwards Aquifer remains well below the level necessary for the springs in Olmos Basin to flow. As can be seen in the last photo above, the headwaters channel of the San Antonio River is dry. It has been dry more often than not over the past sixty years or so.

One of the reasons George Brackenridge sold this part of his estate to the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word in 1897 was because he saw that the springs were becoming intermittent. As the population of San Antonio and the surrounding area increased, more wells were being dug to supply the increased demand for water. This lowered the aquifer level sufficiently to severely impact the flow of water from the springs.

Brackenridge didn't want to be around the Olmos Basin when the springs finally stopped flowing. Now, 115 years after he sold the estate, what he feared would happen to the springs has come to pass.

But wildlife in South Texas is tenaciously persistent. Over the decades, the ecosystem in the Olmos Basin has evolved to adapt to the lower water levels.

Update, Thursday, June 28, 2012:

I probably should point out that what I wrote and posted late last night is a summary of the  history of this part of the Olmos Basin as best I understand it. It is remarkable to me how resilient the South Texas ecology can be.

However, the fact that the "headwaters" of the San Antonio River remains dry for long periods of time is also a testament to the need to adopt sustainable water and resource management practices. If they are not, there will come a point where the local ecosystems can no longer adapt.

The springs in Olmos Basin that fed the San Antonio River were the primary reason people settled in this area even long before the Spanish settlers arrived. The loss of these vibrant springs stands as a tragic reminder of our need to be good stewards of the resources upon which we depend.