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SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, For thousands of years, the mermaid has been one of |
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the most striking symbols of humanity's connection with the natural |
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world, and over the past century, this legendary figure has come to |
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represent the city of San Marcos and its special relationship to the |
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water resources of Central Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, The story of the mermaid in San Marcos begins with |
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the abundant springs that every day release 100 million gallons of |
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freshwater from the Edwards Aquifer into the San Marcos River; |
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considered a sacred place by Native Americans, and regarded as the |
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creation site of the Coahuiltecans, the springs have drawn people |
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to their banks for more than 11,500 years, making this area what is |
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thought to be one of the oldest continually inhabited sites in North |
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America; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1845, Edward Burleson, a former vice president of |
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the Republic of Texas, dammed the headwaters of the San Marcos |
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River, thereby creating Spring Lake; over the ensuing years, the |
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water from the lake powered gristmills, sawmills, an ice factory, |
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and an electric light works; the San Marcos River also constituted |
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an important water stop along the Chisholm Trail; and |
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WHEREAS, A. B. Rogers bought Edward Burleson's homestead in |
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the 1920s and built a resort hotel on the shore of the lake; he later |
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began offering rides in glass-bottomed boats that allowed visitors |
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to see through the crystal water to the bubbling springs beneath; |
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his son Paul, who succeeded him, established the Aquarena Springs |
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amusement park on the property and in 1950 built an underwater |
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theater, where young women known as "aquamaids" staged exhibitions |
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of synchronized swimming and underwater ballet; at the peak of its |
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popularity, the park drew up to 350,000 visitors every year and was |
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featured in Life magazine, and the submerged theater was featured |
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on the cover of Popular Mechanics; in time, the show came to include |
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Glurpo, a pipe-smoking clown, and a swimming pig named Ralph; and |
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WHEREAS, The performances continued until the 1990s, when |
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Texas State University acquired the park and set a new course for |
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the property; today, the site hosts the Meadows Center for Water and |
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the Environment, which conducts research and educational programs |
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focused on promoting sustainable water management and |
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environmental stewardship; the critical nature of the center's work |
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is underscored by the fact that the Edwards Aquifer supplies |
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drinking water to several million people and serves as the |
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principal source of water for agriculture and industry throughout |
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the region, while waters discharged by the aquifer also support |
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recreation and tourism; in addition, the aquifer system sustains |
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over 40 highly adapted species and a number that are either |
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threatened or endangered, including five found in the San Marcos |
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Springs and a stretch of river just below the springs; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2016, the Mermaid Society of San Marcos was |
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created to foster harmony among the varied interests of |
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environmentalism, the arts, and economic growth; the society has |
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established an annual Mermaid Week, which includes a parade, the |
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Mermaid Society Ball, and the Mermaid SPLASH Festival; and |
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WHEREAS, Through its arts program and with revenue from its |
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hotel occupancy tax, the City of San Marcos has funded a number of |
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mermaid-themed works of public art, including a mural and a series |
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of seven-foot-tall statues decorated by various artists; and |
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WHEREAS, By adopting the mermaid as a symbol of the city, the |
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people of San Marcos are encouraging public interest in the natural |
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environment and highlighting the central role that their community |
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is playing in preserving the water resources of the Lone Star State; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 86th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate San Marcos as the Mermaid Capital of Texas; and, be |
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it further |
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RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section |
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391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in effect |
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until the 10th anniversary of its designation. |