Dear Stakeholders and Friends of Plum Creek,
"The health of our waters is the principal measure of how we live on the land."
A fluvial geomorphologist and visionary in water resource management, Luna Leopold eloquently described watershed management in one sentence. To be a steward of water requires systems thinking and grappling with the reality of land use change, namely through development — a task that necessitates crucial conversations with disparate parties.
Such conversations occur during meetings of the "Future Development Committee" of the Greater San Marcos Partnership. The (Zoom) room is filled with developers, planners, and environmental conservation organizations. We all seek to do our jobs, whether that is to place land in conservation easements or develop a master-planned community. Yet, we all seek to have places to connect with nature and recreate, recharge, and relax. In that vein, we choose to work together to create an ecologically functional landscape with care and intention, while supporting the health of our waters.
I share this example to showcase that—while the Plum Creek Watershed is being rapidly developed—I believe we are collectively making progress and creating common ground, which is indeed our common ground, our watershed.
This Spring, my goal is to expand the Partnership's presence among stakeholders, continue providing educational programming, and set a path for prioritizing watershed management measures.
Thank you for reading and engaging with the Plum Creek Watershed Partnership.
Onward,
Christina
Christina Lopez, PhD
Watershed Coordinator
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