Cape’s Dam on the San Marcos River may be repaired, demolished or transformed into rapids, depending on the city of San Marcos’ feasibility study.
Cape’s Dam is a historic landmark in San Marcos, built over 150 years ago for cotton milling and currently creates Mill Race, Mill Race Falls and Thompson’s Island in Stokes Park. The dam sustained significant damage during severe floods in both 2013 and 2015, leading to destruction that has not been repaired.
As a result, both San Marcos City Council and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service voted to remove the structure rather than attempt restoration in March 2016.
However, multiple groups, including the Texas Historical Commission, fought against the demolition in August 2016 mainly due to the dam’s history, and succeeded in doing so which resulted in the wildlife service revoking its demolition funds.
“Where we are today is city council and Hays County have entered into an interlocal agreement to study some various components about feasibility on restoration of the dam structure,” San Marcos Parks & Recreation Director Jamie Lee Case said. “The evaluation will include historical significance, environmental impact, safety and potential recreation.”
According to Case, the city is in the process of issuing a request for proposals on either restoration or demolition to Cape’s Dam.
Case said the city drafted the proposal and its in the procurement department of Parks and Recreation ready to be issued in the next few months.
“Once it is issued, various firms will be allowed to provide the proposals which will then be evaluated and selected,” Lee said. “Once that firm is on board, they will serve as the project managers and report back to the city and Hays County on their progress… and conduct the studies that will show if it is possible to restore the dam.”
San Marcos River Retreat Campground Owner Tom Goin said he is in favor of demolishing the dam and returning the river to its original state.
“I am okay with [demolition] at this point because it’s been so long,” Goin said. “Let’s just get rid of the rubble that was the old dam and return the river to its natural state. I certainly don’t want anybody to rebuild just for the sake of having a dam.”
Olympian and Founder of San Marcos’ Olympic Outdoor Center Ben Kvanli said he wants to restore the area below Cape’s Dam, as the Olympic Center is located on the water between Cape’s Dam and Thompson’s Island.
Kvanli also said he believes the area around Cape’s Dam and Thompson’s Island has the potential to be bigger than Rio Vista Park.
There is a potential for a 14-foot variation in water level with the repairing of Cape’s Dam and its surrounding parks, while Rio Vista Park experiences a smaller six-foot change in water level according to Kvanli.
“We’re preserving the history of what got us here, and we’re creating some features that kids can explore and interact with,” Kvanli said. “We want to take it from what it is right now where we have broken features that are creating stagnant water, and we want to bring it back to being that clear, beautiful swimming hole that everybody loves.”
There is no firm timeline on the city’s decision for Cape’s Dam but Case said scientific studies, like the one needed for the dam, can take anywhere between 12-18 months.
“So once we have the studies done, we will have a firm feasibility as to what is possible and we have no foregone conclusions on what those studies will show. It could show that it is possible to restore the dam, or that it is not,” Case said. “So we really won’t know until after that work is completed.”
For more information on Cape’s Dam visit the city’s website.
