NEW REPORT REVIEWS POTENTIAL THREATS TO CENTRAL TEXAS RIVER
Guest post by Tyson Broad, author of The Unknown River of Central Texas and a Llano resident.
Despite being a major tributary to the Llano River and the home to one the nation’s largest nursery caves for bats, the James River is not well known because travelers do not often cross it. At the few crossings you can find, the river is small, giving the traveler little hint of the scenic canyons carved downstream. The river’s spring-fed flows are also small in comparison to other nearby rivers, such as the South Llano, but they provide exceptional aquatic habitat and water for domestic, livestock and wildlife purposes, even during drought. Understanding the important role that the James River plays in Central Texas is vital to its protection.
Mexican Free-tailed bats emerging from James River Bat Cave
I recently completed a report for Environmental Defense Fund that details the James River, its springs and its watershed. The purpose of the report is to cultivate an understanding by local residents of the characteristics of the river and potential threats to its health, to prompt local action to protect the river.
The potential problems facing the James River watershed are similar to the potential problems facing many watersheds in the Texas Hill Country. Not far from the James River, the South Llano Watershed Alliance provides a good example of the opportunity for coordinated efforts among landowners and area residents to protect the river.
James River below James River Springs.
One of the potential threats to the James River results from the division of large ranches into smaller “ranchettes.” As more wells and septic systems are introduced to the landscape, the potential for reductions and contamination of springflow increases. Unfortunately, there is little research available to measure these impacts. However, a new stakeholder group could work with local groundwater conservation districts to drive local involvement in data collection and groundwater conservation and protection efforts.
Methods for protecting river systems may vary from watershed to watershed, but all will likely require collaboration and partnerships among landowners, area residents, resource agencies and educational institutions to provide lasting protections for Texas’ water resources.