San Marcos River: Native Riparian Habitat Restorationwatershedplanning.tamu.edu/media/603518/riparian-presentation... · Riparian Habitat Restoration - Purpose Removal of invasive

San Marcos River: Native Riparian Habitat

Restoration Habitat Conservation Plan

Eric Weeks

Riparian Habitat Restoration - Purpose

Removal of invasive species helps to restore the ecosystem to its natural state and

promotes the survival of native species.

Larger invasives are used as terracing/mulch to stabilize soil and reduce erosion.

Native plantings provides a more diverse habitat and helps stabilize the bank.

Prohibitive thorny plants are used as a natural barrier to reduce erosion from foot traffic.

Water Quality plantings act as natural buffers filtering chemicals and toxins from runoff

before entering the river.

Identify River Access Points Fence area between access points as restoration areas

Remove and Treat Exotic Invasive Species Chinese tallow

Chinaberry

Chinese privet

Ligustrum

Paper mulberry

Japanese honeysuckle

Johnson grass

Elephant Ear

Add Erosion Control & Restrictive Access Plantings The invasives removed are used

as terraces and as mulch

Mulch socks are added as needed

Plants with high erosion control

value are added (switch grass)

HTC Overview City Park

Plant natives or Allow Nature to Take Over USFWS collects seeds locally to grow the plants that are added to the banks

Prohibitives are added near the edge of fence to discourage access

HTC, volunteer planting days and interns.

Riparian/WQ Buffer Plant List Berberis trifoliolata Agarita

Alamo Vine Merremia dissecta

American elm

Ulmus americana

American water willow

Justicia americana

Anacua Ehretia anacua

Arrowhead Sagittaria platyphylla

Ash Fraxinus sp.

Ashe juniper

Juniperus ashei

Bald cypress

Taxodium distichum

Bear grass Nolina texana

Beautyberry Callicarpa americana

Big Bluestem

Andropogon gerardi

Black walnut

Junglans nigra

Black willow Salix nigra

Blazing Star Liatris mucronata

Blue gamma

Bouteloua gracilis

Box elder Acer negundo

Brasil Condalia hookeri

Broadleaf woodoats

Chasmanthium latifolium

Buffalo Gourd Cucurbita foetidissima

Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa

Bushy bluestem Andropogon glomeratus

Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis

Camphor weed Pluchea odorata

Catalpa Catalpa speciosa

Cats claw mimosa

Mimosa biancifera

Cedar elm Ulmus crassifolia

Chinquapin oak Quercus meuhlenbergii

Common green brier

Smilax rotundifolia

Cottonwood Populus deltoides

Cottonwood Populus deltoides

Creeping Primrose Willow Ludwigia repens

Crow-foot caric sedge Carex crus-corvi

Devil's shoestring

Nolina lindheimeriana

Dewberry Rubus trivialis

Dwarf palmetto Sabal minor

Eastern gamagrass

Tripsacum dactyloides

Elderberry Sambucus canadensis

Emory's sedge

Carex emoryi

Evergreen sumac Rhus virens

Eve's necklace

Sophora affins

False indigo bush

Amorpha fruticosa

False nettle Boehmeria cylindrica

Flameleaf Sumac

Rhus lanceolata

Fragrant mimosa

Mimosa borealis

Giant cutgrass

Zizaniopsis miliacea

Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica

Hairy Gramma

Andropogon hirsuta

Hog plum Colubrina texensis

Honey mesquite

Prosopis glandulosa

Huisache Acacia farrnesiana

Illinois pondweed

Potamogeton illinoensis

Indian Grass Sorghastrum nutans

Inland Sea Oats

Chasmanthium latifolium

Kidneywood Eysenhardtia texana

Lime prickly ash

Zanthoxylum fagara

Lindheimer muhly

Muhlenbergia lindheimeri

Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium

Live oak Quercus virginiana

Mesquite Prosopis glandulosa

Mexican buckeye

Ungnadia speciosa

Mexican Palm Sabal mexicana

Mexican plum Prunus mexicana

Mexican redbud

Cercis canadensis var. mexicana

Mountain Laurel

Sophora secundiflora

Muhly grass Muhlenbergia capillaris

Osage Orange Maclura pomifera

Pecan Carya illinoinensis

Plains coreopsis Coreopsis tinctoria

Possum-haw Ilex decidua

Retama Parkinsonia aculeata

Retama + Ash Juniper

Parkinsonia aculeata + Juniperus ashei

Rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides

Rough leaf dogwood

Cornus drummondii

Rusty blackhaw Viburnam rufidulum

Sawgrass Cladium jamaicense

Shiny Sumac Rhus lanceolata

Shiny sumac (skunkbush) Rhus trilobata

Shrubby Yellowcrest Hemia salicifolia

Side-oats gamma Bouteloua curtipendula

Snow on the Mountain

Euphorbia marginata

Soapberry Sapindus saponaria

Sugarberry / hackberry Celtis laevigata

Switchgrass Panicum virgatum

Sycamore Platanus occidentalis

Texas ash Fraxinus texensis

Texas cupgrass Eriochloa sericae

Texas lantana Lantana urticoides

Texas mountain laurel

Sophora secundiflora

Texas persimmon

Diospyros texana

Texas red oak Quercus buckleyi

Texas winter grass

Nassella leucotricha

Tickle tongue Zanthoxylum hirsutum

Tx Mountain Laurel

Sophora secundiflora

Wafer ash Ptelea trifoliolata

Western soapberry

Sapindus saponaria

Yaupon holly Ilex vomitoria

Yellow indian grass

Sorghastrum nutans

Water/Irrigation University & City taps

TCEQ Water Permits

Water Tanks

Buckets & Pitchers

New strategy due to limited availability of water:

Prohibitive zone –xeric thorny

WQ zone – terrestrial (seed)

Area along river plantings

Thorny restrictive plantings grow very well with minimal water

Control/Maintain Invasive Regrowth Large seedbanks and

extensive root systems

Most areas are densely planted,

so treating regrowth is a challenge

EBR Overview Spring Lake

Upper Sewell Park

Contour Terracing Fall 2013

Native Plantings Spring 2014

Summer 2015 above

Upper Rio Vista

Invasive Removal Fall 2014

Terracing & Mulch Winter 2014

Native Plantings Summer 2015

Upper Rio Vista

February 2014

Fall 2014

Summer 2015

Rio Vista Gardens

Before After

Lower Rio Vista

Invasive Removal Fall 2014

Native Plantings Spring 2015

Summer 2015 above

Questions? [email protected]