San Antonio River, Mission Reach, Concepcíon Park Trailhead
Today's photos:
Saturday, June 30, 2012
An Evening With The Egrets
Friday, June 29, 2012
San Antonio River, Mission Reach, Concepcíon Park Trailhead
Today's photos:
I managed to get to the Concepcíon Park Trailhead on the San Antonio River Greenway for my walk this evening about an hour before sunset. There were quite a few egrets busy getting a bite to eat before nightfall. What better way to spend an evening than with the egrets... and the cormorants... and the damselflies, especially with the damselflies?
San Antonio River, Mission Reach, Concepcíon Park Trailhead
Today's photos:
Thursday, June 28, 2012
An Astounding Diversity of Life, A (Very) Small Sample
Thursday, June 28, 2012
These photos are part two from my walk at Eisenhower Park on Wednesday, May 16. As I indicated in the post following that walk, it seemed like every creature one could imagine appeared in front of my camera. Life does express itself in a remarkable diversity of forms:
These photos are part two from my walk at Eisenhower Park on Wednesday, May 16. As I indicated in the post following that walk, it seemed like every creature one could imagine appeared in front of my camera. Life does express itself in a remarkable diversity of forms:
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.
The Headwaters Sanctuary in Olmos Basin
Today's photos:
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.
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