Saltgrass Sinkhole Floods City With Problems

An area around the San Marcos River has been under construction due to safety precautions and wildlife protection.

Written by Louis Zylka

The San Marcos River is a famous attraction known to locals and travelers, but there has been some commotion recently. The area between Salt Grass Steak House and the bridge at Sewell Park has been fenced off for a few years already.

Eric Algoe, Vice President for Finance and Support Services at Texas State, said this section of the river is closed off to prevent injuries caused by the Dam. He said Texas State University took charge a few years ago to create safety precautions.

“We knew right away that the dam needed significant repairs,” Algoe said. “We embarked on a process to make a plan and add repairs to the dam.”

Algoe said repairs for the dam have taken an enormous amount of time. These repairs are being reimbursed with the help of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He said a lot of agencies and other entities are being brought into the table, which makes the process last longer.

Besides creating safety for swimmers, the fencing is used to protect the wildlife in the area.

According to Tom Hardy, Chief Science Officer at the Meadows Center for the Water and the Environment, another reason for the area being blocked off is to allow native plants and trees to continue growing.

“The fencing allowed (native) trees to jump-start their growth, and then when the dam overtopped with the big flood, the rest of fencing was left up because of a sinkhole created there,” Hardy said.

The sinkhole in the dam was opened up due to flood waters in the past few years.

Hardy said the major reason for the area being blocked off is to protect people at the river. More locals and visitors have taken notice of the fencing, and while some are accepting of it, others are displeased.

Angel Reyna, Texas State graduate, has been a huge fan of swimming at Sewell Park. Reyna said she has recently noticed the fencing at the Dam when visiting San Marcos and understands why the protection is necessary.

“I think it is very important (to keep people safe) at the river,” Reyna said. “By (increasing the awareness), people will be more accepting of the area being closed off.”

Hardy said people seem to overlook the purpose of the fences. Thus controversies have been made about the river being kept from public usage.

“People need to understand that the fencing is currently up for safety reasons,” Hardy said. “We don’t want anyone to fall into the sinkhole.”

Billboard signs are currently posted at the river to explain why the area is under construction.

Even though awareness has been raised, people are still entering the area, and Agloe said there is not a lot the school or city can do to keep people from trespassing.

 “We feel good about the plan to make the dam safe, but it will still need a lot of surveillance,” Agloe said. “The good news is that by the end of the summer we should have someone to do the actual repair work.”

Agloe said there is official approval from all the agencies involved to have the repairs made.

Once the reconstruction is done, the fences can be taken down, and the area will be open to the public again. The estimated date for the dam repairs to be completed is set for early 2019.