Letter To The Editor: Concerns About Safety On Our San Marcos River
On March 15, 2016, the San Marcos City Council voted to have Cape’s Dam removed from the San Marcos River. Their decision was based off of a single report prepared by Dr. Thomas Hardy.
This decision has deeply divided San Marcos residents and vacationers, and what many want to know is how activities on the river will truly change if the dam is removed.
For starters, if Cape’s Dam is removed, access to the San Marcos River may become severely restricted. Swimming above Capes Dam and in the area below the waterfall near Thompson’s Islands may become a thing of the past.
Cape’s Dam calms the river’s current by diverting some of the flow into an alternate fork of the river, known as the Mill Race.
If Cape’s Dam is removed, the full velocity of the river will be forced into a single channel. If this happens, the current will become much faster above and below where Cape’s Dam once was and the river above will narrow.
The speed of the river at that point, already fast, will become a safety hazard for swimmers, paddle boarders, and boaters. The possibility of injury will rise dramatically and activity in that track of the river will be forced to diminish.
The loss of the dam will also mean the loss of the entire Mill Race track of the river. The loss of the Mill Race comes with additional problems. Without water diverted down the channel by Cape’s Dam, the water already there will become stagnant.
This is noted in an Oct. 12, 2015 report by Hardy in which he noted on page 18 that the Mill Race could “contain stagnant water for extended periods of time…”
No remedy for this situation is provided in the report, even though this would be a major health hazard. Standing water is a breeding ground for mosquito’s, which Texans have all become aware this summer can carry the Zika virus.
According to the World Health Organization, Zika is known to cause deformities in unborn children if the mother is bitten and infected. Alternatives to the problem of standing water, such as filling in the Mill Race, would be very expensive.
City tax payers would be burdened with the cost of removing what was a beautiful part of the San Marcos River.
Losing Cape’s Dam will also mean an economic loss for the recreational programs that depend on the river. One of these is the Olympic Outdoor Center, which hosts a veteran rehabilitation program every Thursday on the San Marcos River.
According to a release on social media, this program has benefited over 1,200 veterans and wounded warriors since it began in 2001.
Without Cape’s Dam, this program could be endangered or lost completely.
The narrowing of the river will make the current structures that are needed for the program useless, and the increased speed of the river could cause it to become unsafe for continuing rehabilitation programs.
TG Canoe & Kayak, a business that rents to thousands of boaters every year from all over Texas, would also suffer if Cape’s Dam is removed. TG assists many large youth groups and safety is one of the most important aspects that they must consider.
TG does not allow anyone to take a boat down the right channel because of the current speed of the water, and this will only get worse if Cape’s Dam is removed.
For 31 years all of their renters have taken the Mill Race to navigate around Thompson’s Islands, which is an option that will no longer be available if the dam is lost.
A short drive down Cape’s Road will show how many boaters stop at Stokes Park for lunch and swim at the falls.
The City Council and San Marcos residents may not really grasp how many people truly use the Mill Race, not only to navigate downstream, but also to come back upstream towards Rio Vista.
Time is running out to save this important piece of the city.
If you are one of the many San Marcos residents that wishes to keep your right to a safe waterway, you can help by visiting savethesmtxriver.org today and signing the petition to reverse the vote to remove Cape’s Dam.
Animate Mazurek, San Marcos, Texas
