NEWS
SPORTS
OPINION
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COUNCIL APPROVES CAPE’S DAM FEASIBILITY STUDY
SENIOR JACK BURKE WRAPS UP COLLEGE CAREER
POTENTIAL AI FACILITIES RAISE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
TUESDAY April 22, 2025
VOLUME 114 ISSUE 30
Birds, bees and butterflies Earth Day San Marcos celebrates nature’s beauty By Carlene Ottah Life and Arts Editor
CARLENE OTTAH | LIFE AND ARTS EDITOR
Business administration and management senior Jengo Russell observes an insect nest on a plant during Earth Day San Marcos Celebration, Saturday, April 19, 2025, at the Meadows Center.
The sounds of Spring Lake and bird calls added to the ambience surrounding local bands playing folk and country music and the flow of people moving and dancing to the beat. Despite the occasional rain shower, many community members and organizations gathered around the lake to spend a day dedicated to appreciating San Marcos’ unique ecosystem. Earth Day San Marcos is an annual event hosted by the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, occurring this year from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on April 19. It connects the community with natural resources, eco-friendly vendors and environmental and sustainability topics. “The goal of the event, just in general, is to allow for our partnering organizations and all of the booths that are coming to be able to showcase what they’re doing and inform people on what they can do to be more green or better for the environment,” Miranda Wait, deputy director of Spring Lake Education, said.
SEE EARTH DAY PAGE 10
Canyon Lake reports lowest water level in over 50 years By James Phillips News Reporter
Canyon Lake, a water source for the city of San Marcos, has dropped to its lowest water level in over 60 years, according to Adeline Fox, executive manager of communications and outreach for the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA). As of April 18, Canyon Lake’s elevation has dropped to 878.19 feet mean sea level, with the reservoir just over 46% full, according to Water Data for Texas. Under the city’s current water supply portfolio, a combination of sources and strategies a city uses to meet its water needs, San Marcos receives up to 8.9 million gallons per day from the Canyon Lake source, making it the largest source of water for city utilities. Paul Kite, assistant director of Water/Wastewater and Utilities for the city of San Marcos, said in a written interview with The Star while the city has not received any reductions in water flow from Canyon Lake, officials are monitoring the situation. “At this time, the city’s infrastructure is operating within capacity,” Kite wrote. “Staff are closely monitoring system performance and planning ahead to ensure equipment, pumping capacity and storage remain sufficient, even under drought strain.” Kite wrote if Canyon Lake’s water levels continue to decrease, water rates for city utility users could be affected. For now, however, the lake’s low levels are not impacting residents’ monthly bills.
SEE DROUGHT PAGE 2
Student-run farm aims to grow past challenges CARLENE OTTAH | LIFE AND ARTS EDITOR
Bobcat Farm Club interns Matthew McGinnis (Left) and Pearl Willett (Right) remove weeds from plants, Friday, April 18, 2025, on Bobcat Farm at the Freeman Center Ranch. By Carlene Ottah Life and Arts Editor
The hot sun and cool, short bursts of wind beat down on the 1.4-acre land called Bobcat Farm in Freeman Center Ranch. Rows of annual plant beds take root on most of the land, from the ripened squash and sweet strawberries to the warm-colored snapdragons attracting bumblebees. Bobcat Farm Club members come to the farm every day since there is always something to do, whether removing the weeds surrounding plants or ensuring they have the right
amount of water. However, the recent pause of a large grant put the fate of the farm and its club in uncertainty. Bobcat Farm is an organic fruit, vegetable, herb and flower farm run by students. It uses regenerative agriculture, a method of restoring the soil and ecosystem to grow healthy plants. Nicole Wagner, assistant professor of crop and soil science and Bobcat Farm Club project director, started the organization in 2022 and has since seen the area grow from raw, degraded land and rocky soil.
“There was no like irrigation infrastructure, there was no power, there was no greenhouse... there’s no tool shed there were no tools, there were no seeds, nothing,” Wagner said. “So, we had to develop everything.” Earlier this year, changes in the federal government put one of the farm’s two grants on hold. One was meant to build the wash pack and ends this August. The grant put on hold was responsible for paying the workers and interns, consumables such as seeds and fertilizer, harvesting tools, and research projects.
SEE CLUB PAGE 12
San Marcos takes flight as a Bee City By Lucciana Choueiry News Editor
As honey bee populations across the country continue to decline, San Marcos has joined a growing national initiative to protect them and other pollinators with a Bee City USA designation. San Marcos City Council voted unanimously on March 4 to join Bee City USA, a program that helps municipalities support bees and other pollinators through habitat creation, reduced pesticide use and public education. With this move, San Marcos joins nearby Bee Cities like Austin, Round Rock and Tyler. “To be a Bee City means we’re committing to reducing our pesticide use, planting more natives and educating the CHRISTOPHER MIRANDA | COURTESY PHOTO public about how to support pollinators,” Amy Thomaides, Bobcat Buzz member Connor Buckly works with hive boxes, San Marcos’ community initiatives manager said. Thursday, March 19, 2025, on Bobcat Buzz Hive at the Free-
SEE CONSERVATION PAGE 5 man Center Ranch.