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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 1849, 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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thereby creating Spring Lake; over the ensuing years, the water |
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from the lake powered gristmills, sawmills, an ice factory, and an |
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electric light works; the San Marcos River also constituted an |
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important water stop along the Chisholm Trail; and |
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WHEREAS, A. B. Rogers bought the Burleson homestead in the |
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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 clear water to the bubbling springs |
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beneath; his son Paul, who succeeded him, established the Aquarena |
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Springs amusement park on the property, and in 1950 he built an |
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underwater theater, where young women known as "aquamaids" staged |
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exhibitions of synchronized swimming and underwater ballet; at the |
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peak of its popularity, the park drew up to 350,000 visitors every |
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year and was featured in Life magazine, with the submerged theater |
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making it to the cover of Popular Mechanics; in time, the show came |
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to include Glurpo, a pipe-smoking clown, and a swimming pig named |
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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 its work is |
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underscored by the fact that the Edwards Aquifer supplies drinking |
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water to nearly two million people and serves as the principal |
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source of water for agriculture, industry, and recreation |
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throughout the region; the aquifer system sustains over 40 highly |
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adapted species, a number of which are either threatened or |
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endangered, including several found in the San Marcos springs and a |
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stretch of river just below; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2016, the Mermaid Society of Texas, headquartered |
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in San Marcos, was created to foster harmony between environmental |
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sustainability, the arts, and economic growth; the society has |
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established an annual Mermaid SPLASH festival, which includes a |
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parade, the Mermaid Art Ball, and the riverside Aqua Faire |
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celebration; moreover, the city has funded mermaid-themed public |
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art through a program supported by the hotel occupancy tax; among |
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the works underwritten by this initiative are murals and a series of |
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seven-foot-tall statues, each one decorated by a different artist; |
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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 their community is |
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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 87th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate the city of San Marcos as the official Mermaid |
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Capital of Texas; and, be 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 the date this resolution is finally |
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passed by the legislature. |
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