Bill Text: TX SCR63 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Designating San Marcos as the Mermaid Capital of Texas.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (N/A - Dead) 2019-05-23 - Received from the Senate [SCR63 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-SCR63-Engrossed.html
| By: Zaffirini | S.C.R. No. 63 | |
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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 | ||
| River, 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 Edward Burleson's 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 water to the bubbling springs beneath; | ||
| his son Paul, who succeeded him, established the Aquarena Springs | ||
| amusement park on the property and in 1950 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, and the submerged theater was featured | ||
| on 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 the center's 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 and a number that are either | ||
| threatened or endangered, including five found in the San Marcos | ||
| Springs and a stretch of river just below the springs; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In 2016, the Mermaid Society of San Marcos was | ||
| created to foster harmony among the varied interests of | ||
| environmentalism, the arts, and economic growth; the society has | ||
| established an annual Mermaid Week, which includes a parade, the | ||
| Mermaid Society Ball, and the Mermaid SPLASH Festival; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Through its arts program and with revenue from its | ||
| hotel occupancy tax, the City of San Marcos has funded a number of | ||
| mermaid-themed works of public art, including a mural and a series | ||
| of seven-foot-tall statues decorated by various artists; 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 that 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 San Marcos as the 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 its designation. | ||
