6 | The City of San Marcos
and salamanders that all thrive on this wa-
ter along with rare forms of fauna, fowl and
other kinds of critters. These same waters
have attracted other creatures in the form of
tourists, and support a flourishing economy
of tour and watercraft operations, museums,
nature centers and other enterprises. It is also
the source of serious academic research, and
at the nearby University of Texas, entire cur-
riculum has been developed involving study
of the water system as well as it inhabitants.
With so many, so dependent, on this
water supply, it has been a focal point of
concern, competition and more than 20
years worth of conflict stemming from court
battles involving its control. And though
the system has never run dry, there was great
concern some years ago following a drought
when water levels alarmingly receded. Since
that time, the City of San Marcos has taken
steps to ensure the protection and integrity
of this water system, enacting what repre-
sents one of the most complex and critical
of water conservation plans in America. This
conservation strategy has also prompted
some consternation with those more con-
cerned with industry than eco-systems, but
as San Marcos Executive Director of Public
City Hybrids
