Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HCR176 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R29244 JGH-D
2	2	By: Zwiener H.C.R. No. 176
3	3
4	4
5	5	CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
6	6	WHEREAS, For thousands of years, the mermaid has been one of
7	7	the most striking symbols of humanity's connection with the natural
8	8	world, and over the past century, this legendary figure has come to
9	9	represent the city of San Marcos and its special relationship to the
10	10	water resources of Central Texas; and
11	11	WHEREAS, The story of the mermaid in San Marcos begins with
12	12	the abundant springs that every day release 100 million gallons of
13	13	freshwater from the Edwards Aquifer into the San Marcos River;
14	14	considered a sacred place by Native Americans and regarded as the
15	15	creation site of the Coahuiltecans, the springs have drawn people
16	16	to their banks for more than 11,500 years, making this area what is
17	17	thought to be one of the oldest continually inhabited sites in North
18	18	America; and
19	19	WHEREAS, In 1845, Edward Burleson, a former vice president of
20	20	the Republic of Texas, dammed the headwaters of the San Marcos,
21	21	thereby creating Spring Lake; over the ensuing years, the water
22	22	from the lake powered gristmills, sawmills, an ice factory, and an
23	23	electric light works; the San Marcos River also constituted an
24	24	important water stop along the Chisholm Trail; and
25	25	WHEREAS, A. B. Rogers bought the Burleson homestead in the
26	26	1920s and built a resort hotel on the shore of the lake; he later
27	27	began offering rides in glass-bottomed boats that allowed visitors
28	28	to see through the crystal-clear water to the bubbling springs
29	29	beneath; his son Paul, who succeeded him, established the Aquarena
30	30	Springs amusement park on the property, and in 1950 he built an
31	31	underwater theater, where young women known as "aquamaids" staged
32	32	exhibitions of synchronized swimming and underwater ballet; at the
33	33	peak of its popularity, the park drew up to 350,000 visitors every
34	34	year and was featured in Life magazine, with the submerged theater
35	35	making it to the cover of Popular Mechanics; in time, the show came
36	36	to include Glurpo, a pipe-smoking clown, and a swimming pig named
37	37	Ralph; and
38	38	WHEREAS, The performances continued until the 1990s, when
39	39	Texas State University acquired the park and set a new course for
40	40	the property; today, the site hosts the Meadows Center for Water and
41	41	the Environment, which conducts research and educational programs
42	42	focused on promoting sustainable water management and
43	43	environmental stewardship; the critical nature of its work is
44	44	underscored by the fact that the Edwards Aquifer supplies drinking
45	45	water to several million people and serves as the principal source
46	46	of water for agriculture and industry throughout the region, while
47	47	waters discharged by the aquifer also support recreation and
48	48	tourism; in addition, the aquifer system sustains over 40 highly
49	49	adapted species, a number of which are either threatened or
50	50	endangered, including five found in the San Marcos springs and a
51	51	stretch of river just below; and
52	52	WHEREAS, In 2016, the Mermaid Society of San Marcos was
53	53	created to foster harmony between environmental sustainability,
54	54	the arts, and economic growth; the society has established an
55	55	annual Mermaid Week, which includes a parade, the Mermaid Society
56	56	Art Ball, and the Mermaid SPLASH festival; moreover, the city has
57	57	funded mermaid-themed public art through a program supported by the
58	58	hotel occupancy tax; among the works underwritten by this
59	59	initiative are murals and a series of seven-foot-tall statues, each
60	60	one decorated by a different artist; and
61	61	WHEREAS, By adopting the mermaid as a symbol of the city, the
62	62	people of San Marcos are encouraging public interest in the natural
63	63	environment and highlighting the central role their community is
64	64	playing in preserving the water resources of the Lone Star State;
65	65	now, therefore, be it
66	66	RESOLVED, That the 86th Legislature of the State of Texas
67	67	hereby designate the city of San Marcos as the official Mermaid
68	68	Capital of Texas; and, be it further
69	69	RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section
70	70	391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in effect
71	71	until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally
72	72	passed by the legislature.