Bill Text: TX HCR176 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Designating San Marcos as the official Mermaid Capital of Texas.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-05-24 - Referred to Culture, Recreation & Tourism [HCR176 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HCR176-Introduced.html
| 86R29244 JGH-D | ||
| By: Zwiener | H.C.R. No. 176 | |
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| WHEREAS, For thousands of years, the mermaid has been one of | ||
| the most striking symbols of humanity's connection with the natural | ||
| world, and over the past century, this legendary figure has come to | ||
| represent the city of San Marcos and its special relationship to the | ||
| water resources of Central Texas; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The 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 their community is | ||
| playing in preserving the water resources of the Lone Star State; | ||
| now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the 86th Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
| hereby designate the city of San Marcos as the official Mermaid | ||
| Capital of Texas; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section | ||
| 391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in effect | ||
| until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally | ||
| passed by the legislature. | ||
