Thursday, the San Antonio City Council considers purchase of a conservation easement on the 2,800-acre Middle Verde Ranch in Medina County. If approved, this will effectively mark the final expenditure from the $90 million Edwards Aquifer Protection Program fund ratified by voters in 2010.
That was the third of four ballot measures dedicating a portion of city sales tax revenue to conserving parcels over the aquifer’s recharge and contributing zones. Voters approved $45 million in 2000, $90 million in 2005, another $90 million in 2010, and $100 million in 2015.
This all goes toward protecting the areas, primarily in Bexar, Medina, and Uvalde counties, where rainwater enters and replenishes the Edwards Aquifer, our primary water source. Left unprotected, development would threaten the integrity of recharge quality and quantity. The mechanism is straightforward — work with willing owners to buy property outright, or purchase development rights through a perpetual easement that requires land be preserved essentially in its natural state. With an easement, the acreage remains as private property; the city simply monitors annually to ensure compliance… Read more from MySanAntonio.com
A milestone in Edwards recharge protection
