Invasive Species Hunter Safeguards Waterway
Invasive Species Hunter Safeguards Waterway
By: Jon Wilcox
Nick Menchaca, founding owner of Atlas Environmental, has earned a living since 2013 by hunting Suckermouth Catfish, Tilapia, Red-Rimmed Melanie and giant Ramshorn Snails. Non-native invasive species could potentially devastate San Marcos’ local aquatic ecosystem without the work of Menchaca and his company.
Menchaca moved from Fort Worth to San Marcos in 2009 to attend Texas State. He graduated in 2012 with a degree in recreational administration. After graduating, he learned about the contract while completing an internship with the city’s habitat conservation plan manager, Melani Howard.
Atlas Environmental was hired in 2013 to fulfill the requirements of the Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan, Howard said. The company is the first to be hired by the city to remove invasive species.
“Having never done this, we didn’t know what would work and wouldn’t,” Howard said. “Through experimentation, (Menchaca) has been increasingly effective in removing invasive species.”
Menchaca quickly learned to Spearfish despite having no experience before 2013, he said.
“Because there are so many (Suckermouth Catfish), it was really easy to pick up (spearfishing),” Menchaca said.
Finding and spearing the fish has since become more difficult, he said.
Jon Wilcox is a senior news reporter for the University Star where this story originally published, and is reprinted here through a news partnership between the University Star and Corridor News.
