WETLANDS GRANT MAKES A BIG SPLASH
by Christine H. Boldt, Miller Springs Alliance, Inc.

Pioneers first came to the Tennessee Valley of Central Texas in the 1850's attracted by the gently rolling land they found there. Water was generally abundant but, from time to time, shallow wells would run dry in the hot Texas summers. Miller Springs was named for the water that seeped from many small fissures in a cliff at one end of the valley. While not suited for farming, the area surrounding the springs became a favorite picnic area for families who had settled nearby. Today, older citizens remember with pleasure the trips they enjoyed as youngsters to this natural spot.

The growth of the Temple/Belton/Killeen urban area brought increased demands for water that could be met only by damming local rivers. The construction of Lake Belton Dam on the Leon River by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1954 to 1955 brought a welcome supply of clean, safe drinking water to Central Texas and new recreational opportunities for those interested in outdoor activities. However, most of the Tennessee Valley was covered by water and no longer accessible. While Miller Springs was not covered by the newly-formed Lake Belton, sixteen to twenty feet of topsoil were scraped off the land to provide material for dam construction. The remaining soil was compacted and devoid of nutrients, microbes and organic matter. Miller Springs was nearly forgotten, except by those who still had pictures in their photo albums of long ago outings.

In the 1980's, when a few grasses and shrubs finally had reestablished in the bulldozed area, a new group of people in search of recreation appeared at Miller Springs. They were off-road-cycle enthusiasts whose vehicles soon crisscrossed the area, scarring the landscape, eroding the soil, and destroying what little vegetation there was in the area. The destruction was of concern to both local environmentalists, and the Corps of Engineers which was still responsible for area surrounding the dam.

At approximately the same time another group of community members from Temple, Belton, and Killeen organized as the Miller Springs Alliance. They entered discussions with the Corps of Engineers in hopes of developing a nature center in the area. These discussions became more urgent when the Miller Springs area once again became the focus of area attention in the Winter of 1991. Heavy rainfall in December of that year filled Lake Belton. Water overflowed across the Lake Belton Spillway for thirty days. Water from the overflow crossed Highway 2271 and cascaded into the basin area of Miller Springs where the soil had been removed to build the dam. As the water traveled it carved a new canyon. It stripped much of the wetland area of plants and valuable soil. Hundreds of people from all over Bell County came to Lake Belton Dam that month and stood as near as they dared in order to admire the powerful flow of water. Two months later the water receded, leaving in its wake a stark landscape. Ironically the flowing water had destroyed the wetlands.

Among those who had watched the waters flood and recede were Members of the Miller Springs Alliance. Undaunted by the flood, they began to work in earnest to see their vision of a nature center become a reality. With the assistance of the Corps of Engineers, the Alliance was able to define a 260 acre area which would become the Miller Springs Nature Center. The Center comprises four distinct habitats: an upland area, an aquatic area, a grassland area, and the riparian area - better known as the wetlands.

One of the first tasks of the Alliance would be to begin restoration of the wetlands. In search of help with this project they turned to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and were invited to apply for a Partners for Wildlife grant. The awarding of that grant in 1992 has had an effect which may best be compared to the ripples which spread out one after another when a rock is thrown into a pond.

The first ripple, or circle in the water, was the coming together of several federal, state, and local agencies committed to developing a restoration plan. Their active cooperation in preparing the grant request evolved into a continuing partnership. Hydrology assessments were completed in 1994 through joint efforts of the Corps of Engineers, the Blackland Research Center (Texas A&M University/Texas Agricultural Experiment Station), and the Soil Conservation Service (U.S. Department of Agriculture). Engineers, conservationists, and scientists developed a ten-year plan for fostering biodiversity in the area and for restoring the wetlands habitat.

The next ripple was created when the Native Plant Society of Texas and the U.S. Soil Conservation Service offered to provide plant species which would attract a variety of wildlife to the wetlands area. In addition, the Killeen and Temple Rotary Clubs supported the project with a donation of native trees. In an effort to involve as many sectors of the community as possible in the development of the nature center, the Miller Springs Alliance invited mentally challenged youngsters from the Temple Housing Authority to assist with planting. These trees will eventually provide habitat for a growing deer population and migratory birds. Already the renewal of the area has lured a new beaver family into taking up residence.

In a further attempt to attract small migratory birds to the wetlands, the restoration design called for a series of small dams which would create several small ponds and the planting of native species Scientists would study and document the renewal process. To minimize intrusion into the area partners in the project decided to construct the dams from sandbags which were filled with sand and rock on site. At-risk youngsters were given the option of assisting with this task as a way of providing restitution to the local courts. They were joined by eighty-three volunteers representing 4-H, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and the general public, at the first of several "Dam" Parties.

Now, more than 2,000 sandbags later, water from natural seeps and springs collects to cover the barren soil and rocks in the wetlands. Many young people and adults have an investment in this project and a have learned new understanding of ecological processes. Corps of Engineers personnel have already observed two species of birds in the Nature Center which had not been recorded before the restoration began. Members of the Audubon Society have volunteered to observe and record bird species which arrive at the Center as a way of monitoring the wetland renewal.

The water continues to ripple. The wetlands area has become one of several eco-system "classrooms" at Miller Springs Nature Center. The Center is used as living laboratory for science and math studies in local school districts, with the potential impact on 75,000 students in Central Texas.

In part, as a result of the encouragement and recognition provided by the Partners for Wildlife grant, the Texas Education Association awarded a grant to the Temple Independent School District to create a collaborative curriculum team of science teachers from intermediate and junior high level. The team represents each public school district and several private ones within Bell County. Teachers involved in the project will develop hands-on science and math curriculum for grades seven through nine based on visits to and activities concerning Miller Springs. Thanks to the TEA grant, participating teachers will receive six hours of graduate level credit from Texas A&M University. Research and documentation from this graduate course will be utilized to provide training for other local teachers.

The Belton Independent School District and the Natural Resources Conservation Service have taken leadership role providing training for local teachers at Miller Springs Nature Center. Educators will be provided with curriculum guides and lesson plans during a three-day workshop on the Nature Center.

Belton Junior High, art, science, and vocational education departments, are creating a "geological totem" which will reside in New Canyon. This canyon was created from the water flow in 1992 and provides an excellent opportunity for geological study.

The Partners for Wildlife grant provided support for a long-term survey of all plant and animal species found in the Nature Center. The scientists who have volunteered their time to this project are preparing brochures aimed at the increasing numbers of students, families, and others who enjoy hiking through the Center. Local scientists and serious amateurs have already produced publications or pamphlets which identify the plants, lichens, invertebrates, fish, and birds that inhabit the Nature Center. Currently, these researchers are gathering information on the Center's populations of insects, vertebrates, and reptiles. Additional support for the plant survey publication has been provided by a grant from the Texas Forest Service, reflecting once again the spirit of cooperation among agencies which has been the main factor in the successful establishment of the Nature Center.

All results of the research which has been funded by the Fish and Wildlife Service and other grantors are used in a variety of ways to make information available to as many people as possible. For example, material from the brochures developed to date has been incorporated by a Texas A&M University graduate student into an elementary curriculum guide for Miller Springs. This K-6 guide development was funded from a TEA grant awarded to the Temple Independent School District. Upon funding availability, the guide will be provided to each science and math teacher in the Central Texas region.

True to the requirements of the Partners for Wildlife grant, scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Grassland Soil and Water Research Laboratory in Temple have volunteered their time and expertise in an experiment which evaluated various species of grasses based on their ability to become established in the flood-scarred wetlands. The researchers presented their results in a paper at the annual meeting of the Native Plant Society of Texas. The information is now available to any organization which is responsible for wetland restoration.

Support from the Partners for Wildlife program was also used to improve visitors' access to the wetlands area of the Nature Center. A portion of the funding was used to repair an abandoned service road through the area. The Old Ranger Road provides better visitor access across the wetlands, and enables maintenance and emergency service vehicles access into the basin area. The basin represents approximately fifty acres of barren, depleted soil. A five-year plan has been initiated to develop it into a grassland area. The improved service road provides a way for composted materials, contributed by the Brazos River Authority and the waste-management companies Cen-Tex, and BFI, to be hauled into the area in order to enrich the soil before planting. The transportation of these materials would not have been possible without a reliable road.

On April 13, 1996, Miller Springs Alliance will host the Miller Springs Nature Center Volksmarch. This event will highlight features of the natural area, provide medium grade walking for area families, and offer awards for completion of the 10K walk. Shumard Oak saplings from Texas Forest Service, and compost from Brazos River Authority, will be distributed to those completing the Volksmarch. All participants should come away from the event with a better understanding of Miller Springs' ecological habitats, including the wetlands.

More than 4,500 hours of volunteer service have been provided by Bell County residents to match the money received from the Partners for Wildlife program. And perhaps this involvement of the community has been the most enduring ripple created by the grant. Each person who has contributed time to research, educate, plant, or dam build has experienced a sense of investment in the Nature Center and in the community. Each has achieved a new understanding of, or a new appreciation for, the natural wonders of Miller Springs.

Each participant may feel something akin to the pleasure which Central Texans experienced when they visited Miller Springs a century or more ago. The ripples created by the Partners for Wildlife grant will continue to expand and to influence anyone visiting or reading about Miller Springs Nature Center.

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Last updated: April 17, 2000