86R35968 JH-D
 
  By: Zwiener H.R. No. 2030
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, Over the past century, the mermaid has come to
  represent the city of San Marcos and its special relationship to the
  water resources of Central Texas; and
         WHEREAS, The legendary story of the mermaid in San Marcos
  begins with the abundant springs that every day release 100 million
  gallons of freshwater from the Edwards Aquifer into the San Marcos
  River; considered a sacred place by Native Americans and regarded
  as the creation site of the Coahuiltecans, the springs have drawn
  people to their banks for more than 11,500 years, making this area
  what is thought to be one of the oldest continually inhabited sites
  in North America; and
         WHEREAS, In 1845, Edward Burleson, a former vice president of
  the Republic of Texas, dammed the headwaters of the San Marcos,
  thereby creating Spring Lake; over the ensuing years, the water
  from the lake powered gristmills, sawmills, an ice factory, and an
  electric light works; the San Marcos River also constituted an
  important water stop along the Chisholm Trail; and
         WHEREAS, A. B. Rogers bought the Burleson homestead in the
  1920s and built a resort hotel on the shore of the lake; he later
  began offering rides in glass-bottomed boats that allowed visitors
  to see through the crystal-clear water to the bubbling springs
  beneath; his son Paul, who succeeded him, established the Aquarena
  Springs amusement park on the property, and in 1950 he built an
  underwater theater, where young women known as "aquamaids" staged
  exhibitions of synchronized swimming and underwater ballet; at the
  peak of its popularity, the park drew up to 350,000 visitors every
  year and was featured in Life magazine, with the submerged theater
  making it to the cover of Popular Mechanics; in time, the show came
  to include Glurpo, a pipe-smoking clown, and a swimming pig named
  Ralph; and
         WHEREAS, The performances continued until the 1990s, when
  Texas State University acquired the park and set a new course for
  the property; today, the site hosts the Meadows Center for Water and
  the Environment, which conducts research and educational programs
  focused on promoting sustainable water management and
  environmental stewardship; the critical nature of its work is
  underscored by the fact that the Edwards Aquifer supplies drinking
  water to several million people and serves as the principal source
  of water for agriculture and industry throughout the region, while
  waters discharged by the aquifer also support recreation and
  tourism; in addition, the aquifer system sustains over 40 highly
  adapted species, a number of which are either threatened or
  endangered, including five found in the San Marcos springs and a
  stretch of river just below; and
         WHEREAS, In 2016, the Mermaid Society of San Marcos was
  created to foster harmony between environmental sustainability,
  the arts, and economic growth; the society has established an
  annual Mermaid Week, which includes a parade, the Mermaid Society
  Art Ball, and the Mermaid SPLASH festival; moreover, the city has
  funded mermaid-themed public art through a program supported by the
  hotel occupancy tax; among the works underwritten by this
  initiative are murals and a series of seven-foot-tall statues, each
  one decorated by a different artist; and
         WHEREAS, By adopting the mermaid as a symbol of the city, the
  people of San Marcos are encouraging public interest in the natural
  environment and highlighting the central role that their community
  is playing in preserving the water resources of the Lone Star State;
  now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas
  Legislature hereby commend the residents of San Marcos for their
  efforts to promote environmental stewardship and to showcase the
  iconic mermaid that is so closely identified with the city.