TEXAS — Millions of people count on the Edwards Aquifer for drinking water — but conservation efforts are more technical than folks may realize.
“We are doing aquifer sustainability related research,” said Mark Hamilton, the executive director of aquifer management services at the Edwards Aquifer Authority.
Hamilton has worked for the authority for two decades.
“Working on this now almost five years,” Hamilton said. “And we feel like we have some of the best drought related data you could hope to have.”
In 2019, the aquifer acquired a property in northeast San Antonio where they focus on environmental research inside a 151-acre field research park.
“A lot of our work is based on improving soil health so that the soil will soak in more water,” Hamilton said. “It will hold more water. And it also provides a benefit to the ecosystem.”
Sustainability manger Thomas Marsalia says while some data is collected electronically, some — like soil samples — is collected manually.
Researchers are working to slow, sink and spread water runoff so that unnecessary debris won’t enter the creek.
“Giving nature a nudge in the right direction if you will,” Hamilton said. “Let it do what it already wants to do. So, we’re just trying to help.”
The Edwards Aquifer supplies water for 2 million people across Central Texas. The work being done at the research park is an effort to better preserve that resource.
Hamilton says healthy grasses and trees are like anchors to stabilize the soil — important even in a drought to maintain the aquifer.
“When this creek floods, if we don’t have this vegetation, you can imagine all of this soil is just going to get washed away,” Hamilton said.
Marsalia says man-made, one-rock dams are designed to slow down water and stabilize the soil.
“Just two rain events they’re almost covered up already,” Marsalia said. “In which a lot of this sediment would have just washed downstream if it weren’t for these structures.”
Preservation is a team effort. The experiments worked on in the field are all explained inside the Education Outreach Center, where families can learn about the aquifer’s conservation efforts for free.
“We can’t have really clean water and abundant water also without having healthy land,” Marsalia said.
Great Job Akhil Sakhineti & the Team @ Edwards Aquifer Authority for sharing this story.
