The Karst Canyon Preserve will open Friday near Wimberley, offering new public access to trails and open space in Hays County. The 175-acre property sits near Jacob's Well and was previously slated for residential development.
Karl Flocke, director of the Hays County parks department, said the preserve is more than just a place for recreation. The site sits above an array of caves and other underground features, including some of the county's aquifers.
" By preserving this land in Karst Canyon Preserve…what we're doing is we're protecting that underground world while at the same time creating a direct pathway or conduit for water to get from the surface to the underground and ultimately into our aquifers where we desperately need it," Flocke said.
Aquifer health is of particular concern for Hays County residents. Aquifer levels in the region are critically low, according to the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, resulting in restrictions on pumping and outdoor water use.
The name of the preserve is a reflection of its proximity to county aquifers. A karst is a landscape formed when soluble bedrock, such as limestone or dolomite, gradually dissolves, often creating underground networks of caves, conduits and fissures.
The preserve will also help protect threatened animal species, including the golden-cheeked warbler and the fern bank salamander.
The preserve is funded by the county's $75 million parks and open spaces bond that passed in 2020. The bond has already supported the conservation of several properties, including the Presa Grande property, the Purgatory Creek Nature Preserve and the Sentinel Peak Preserve.
Visitors to the Karst Canyon Preserve will be able to enjoy two miles of trails when it opens this week with more being constructed in the coming months.
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