Meadows Center, CTGCD host Little Cypress/Krause Springs Study meeting

The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University and the Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District will hold a public meeting on Oct. 12 to receive community input and participation on a study that seeks to better understand how Krause Springs and the Little Cypress Creek watershed interact with the underlying aquifers.

The meeting will be held at the Spicewood Community Center (7901 County Road 404, Spicewood, TX 78669) from 3-4:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

“Community participation will be crucial to not only advancing the knowledge of this freshwater system but also the stewardship of this valuable resource,” said Jenna Walker, deputy director of watershed services at the Meadows Center. “At the meeting, we hope to form a Krause Springs Stakeholder Committee to help guide our research and ensure continued engagement from the community.”

Little Cypress Creek and Krause Springs make up a small but important tributary of the Colorado River that flows into Lake Travis, which supplies drinking water to millions of people in the city of Austin and many other downstream communities. Multiple aquifers contribute to flow in the Little Cypress Creek and springs in the area, but there is a lack of research and knowledge about the contributing and recharge zones within the system.

A recharge zone is the area of land above an aquifer where surface water soaks back into the ground or travels through cracks or fractures between rocks deep into the earth. The contributing zone, or drainage area, of an aquifer includes all watersheds that feed runoff into rivers and streams that flow over the recharge zone.

“Groundwater is very important as it supplies springs, provides citizens with drinking water, and accounts for much of the water in our streams, rivers, lakes and bays,” Walker said. “Although groundwater is 'out of sight,' it is critical that we learn about its role within the water cycle and where it contributes flow to maintain the quality and quantity of this precious water resource.”

Over the next year, the Meadows Center and the Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District will implement a long-term monitoring program of surface water, groundwater and precipitation for the Little Cypress Creek watershed. Data will be collected from groundwater level monitoring wells, weather stations and four synoptic stream flow measurement events along the Little Cypress Creek watershed to gain a comprehensive picture of the groundwater and surface water interactions within the watershed.

Preliminary results of the efforts will be shared with the Krause Springs Stakeholder Committee to address any potential data gaps or enhancements. The results will be presented at a public meeting hosted by the Meadows Center and Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District, which will serve as a planning tool for the community as well as for local and state officials to make informed decision about the management of these water resources.

“This spring complex is unique, in that there exists an isolated oasis of springs in an otherwise groundwater poor area of Burnet County around Spicewood,” said Mitchell Sodek, General Manager of the Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District. “As the District responsible for preserving and protecting groundwater in Burnet County, it is imperative that we understand the science of the aquifer system so that our management preserves unique springs complexes for the future.”

Ultimately, information gained from the study could culminate in the development of a conceptual and numerical groundwater flow model, which can help decision-makers identify areas that contribute to aquifer recharge and evaluate potential impacts of land and water management actions within the watershed.

For more information about the public meeting, visit https://bit.ly/3FrUVJZ.

About The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment

The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University was named following a generous gift from The Meadows Foundation in August 2012. The Meadows Center inspires research, innovation and leadership that ensures clean, abundant water for the environment and all humanity.