Publications

Videos, Activities, Resource Kits

Posted by Robin Gary on September 23, 2016

Central Texas’ groundwater, karst landscape, and innovative residents are fascinating!  Local researchers, agencies, and organizations (the Aquifer District included) have made a lot of the science accessible through videos, activities & experiments, and resource pages.  Here’s a list by category.

BSEACD Activities & Experiments

  • coming soon!

BSEACD Resource Kits

  • coming soon!

Groundwater-Related Videos

Edwards Aquifer:

  • Austin Underground: A variety of local experts talk about Edwards Aquifer geology, hydrogeology, biology, and threats/solutions. (4 video segments, City of Austin Watershed Protection Department)
  • Inner Space Cavern: Inside an Aquifer:  A video series that covers everything from the basics, to chemical processes that drive cave formation, to the advanced research done in the cave. (16 video segments, UT Environmental Science Institute)
  • Deep Underground with Balcones Canyonlands Preserve Biologist: A look at monitoring efforts for Balcones Canyonlands Preserve cave and the role of caves play as indicators of aquifer health. (1 video, Austin Wildlands BCP and WQPL)
  • Recharge in Action:  Watch as staff clear debris from a karst feature in Onion Creek.  Air bubbles out as water makes its way into the feature. (1 video, Austin Wildlands BCP and WQPL)

Trinity Aquifer

  • Exploring the Trinity Aquifer:  An overview of the Upper, Middle, and Lower Trinity Aquifers, cave formation in the Trinity, and area springs. (1 video, Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District)
  • Blanco River Springs:  A look at Trinity Aquifer springs in the headwaters of the Blanco River.  (1 video, Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District)

Water Wells:

  • How A Water Well is Drilled:  A view of key elements of well construction, considerations that help protect water quality, pump and pressure tank operation, and home owner guidance. (1 video, American Ground Water Trust)

Monitoring:

Collaborating Water Educators and Expertise

Many of these agencies collaborate on the annual Groundwater to the Gulf: A Summer Institute for Educators.  Please join us for 3 days of field trips and hands-on science activities!

Contact Agency Expertise Email
Adam Comer Austin Youth River Watch Water quality monitoring, stream restoration, Colorado River acomer@ayrw.org
Alecia Hudson Keep Austin Beautiful Litter abatement, water quality, watershed models, gardening, stream restoration, clean-up projects alecia@keepaustinbeautiful.org
Amanda Ross City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department Outdoor learning, nature-based programs, Texas natives, land management for recharge Amanda.Ross@austintexas.gov
Cait McCann City of Austin Wildlands Prescribed fire, Texas natives, water quality protection, land management for recharge, caving, urban/wildland interface cait.mccann@austintexas.gov
Caleb Harris Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept-Angler Education Fishing, angler education, riparian habitats, native and invasive fish, instream flow Caleb.harris@tpwd.texas.gov
Carolyn Meredith City of Sunset Valley Urban forests, green classrooms, trail maintenance, urban/wildland interface cmeredith@sunsetvalley.org
Cinde Thomas-Jimenez Guadalupe Blanco River Authority Guadalupe River, Blanco River, water quality, service learning projects, floods, drought response cinde.thomas-jimenez@gbra.org
Geoff Hensgen Colorado River Alliance Colorado River, marine biology, Highland Lakes models geoff@coloradoriver.org
Holly Grand Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept- Coastal Coastal habitats, estuaries, marine life, instream flows Holly.Grand@tpwd.texas.gov
Jessica Gordon City of Austin-Watershed Protection Dept, Earth School Caving, watersheds, point and non-point source pollution, Edwards Aquifer jessica.gordon@austintexas.gov
Johnnie Smith Texas Parks & Wildlife – Aquatic Education Texas Aquatic Science, Aquatic WILD, and Texas Waters: Exploring Water and Watersheds johnnie.smith@tpwd.texas.gov
Julie Graham Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Texas natives, land management for recharge, Nature Nights jgraham@wildflower.org
Linda Ruiz McCall Bureau of Economic Geology Texas geology, Balcones fault zone, geologic history linda.mccall@beg.utexas.edu
Lisa Benton Lower Colorado River Authority Water quality, aquatic ecology, freshwater mussels, zebra mussels, native/invasive aquatic vegetation, dams and power generation lisa.benton@lcra.org
Margaret Russell City of Austin, Parks and Recreation Dept. Children in nature, outdoor classrooms, canoeing, Texas natives, invasives, Margaret.russell@austintexas.gov
Marsha May Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept – Nature Trackers Nature trackers, birding, freshwater mussels, amphibians Marsha.May@tpwd.texas.gov
Michael Adair City of Austin, Parks and Recreation Dept.-Sheffield Education Center Barton Springs, endangered species, salamanders, drought, flood Michael.adair@austintexas.gov
Paul Vickery Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center Trinity aquifer, outdoor classrooms, native flora and fauna, guided hikes and programs  Paul@westcave.org
Peggy Murphy Texas Master Naturalists Texas natives,birding, water availability, nature-based stories paxpeg@prodigy.net
Robin Gary Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District Edwards and Trinity Aquifers, groundwater management, GIS, groundwater water quality, wells, caving rhgary@bseacd.org
Sally Alderman Texas Water Development Board Major Rivers, Texas water plan, water conservation sally.alderman@twdb.texas.gov
Sara Heilman City of Austin-Watershed Protection Dept, Earth Camp Barton Springs, salamanders, caving, macroinvertebrates sara.heilman@austintexas.gov
Susan Wall City of Austin-Watershed Protection Dept, Earth Camp Caving, recharge, macroinvertebrate sampling, Barton Springs, green classrooms susan.wall@austintexas.gov