Our History
Why was the Trust Founded?
Texas A&M and American Farmland Trust collected data from the 1997 to 2007 census that shows Texas is home to over 142 million acres of private farms, ranches and forestlands. The state of Texas thus leads the nation in land area devoted to privately-owned working lands. These lands account for 84% of the state’s entire land area and provide substantial economic, environmental, and recreational resources to the benefit of the state’s entire population.
According to accumulated from data the County Appraisal Districts, over 2.1 million acres of farms, ranches and forestlands were converted to other uses over the period from 1997 to 2007. Over 40% of this land conversion was related to growth and development associated with population expansion in the state's 25 highest growth counties. During this period, 861,765 acres were lost from the agricultural land base in these counties. As a function of population increase, roughly 149 acres of agricultural lands were consumed per 1,000 new residents. For more information go to Texas Land Trends.
What is a Land Trust?
A land trust is a local, regional or national nonprofit organization that protects land for its natural, recreational, scenic, historic or productive value. Land trusts have varying conservation objectives; some work in specific geographic areas or concentrate on protecting different natural or cultural features. Land trusts that accept conservation easements are responsible for monitoring that property and ensuring that the terms of the easement are followed. The land trust is responsible for stewardship of the conservation easement for as long as the easement exists.
What is the Guadalupe River Conservancy?
The Guadalupe River Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust organization that was developed to conserve land in the Guadalupe River Watershed for its natural, recreational, scenic, historic and productive value. It was founded in 2001 by the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, a conservation and reclamation district created in 1933 by the Texas Legislature. The Upper Guadalupe River Authority (UGRA) has also partnered with the Trust. The voluntary board of directors consists of citizens who share a love of the Guadalupe River - one of the most pristine rivers in Texas.
What We Have Done So Far
Guadalupe River Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust organization that was developed to conserve land in the Guadalupe River Watershed for its natural, recreational, scenic, historic and productive value. Our organization was originally established in 2001 as the private nonprofit partner of the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, but as our organization has grown and matured, we’ve expanded our ability to partner with public and private landowners across the region.
- Hold conservation easements on approximately 10,000 acres of land that preserves wildlife corridors, native grasses, river and stream frontages, ranches and farms.
- Received a donation of a 265 acre wetland mitigation property in Caldwell County, known as the Plum Creek Wetlands Preserve.
- Purchased 817 acres in the Guadalupe River Delta to preserve Schwing and Hog Bayous, wetland habitat, and create a corridor of protected lands. Partnerships included the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) grant through the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Union Carbide Corporation, a fully-owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, and Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA).
- Completed a water supply canal for the Myrtle-Foester Whitmire Unit of the USFWS Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. The canal delivers freshwater to approximately 750 acres of wetland impoundments for waterfowl and wildlife ranging from the mottled duck, redhead duck, to the canvasback duck.
- Worked to establish a real-time water quality monitoring network throughout the Guadalupe River watershed. A monitoring station provides real-time data for dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, specific conductance, turbidity, and flow. Partnered with Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, U.S. Geological Survey, GBRA and other partners.
- Established a partnership with the City of Martindale to preserve public park land on the San Marcos River.
- Completed conservation easements in Blanco, Calhoun, Comal, DeWitt, Goliad, Guadalupe, Hays, Kendall, Refugio, Wilson and Victoria counties.
- Received grants from:
- Texas Parks and Wildlife, Texas Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service
- Natural Resources Conservation Service, Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)
- Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act
- the Formosa Plastics Environmental Endowment Fund Trust
- the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA)
- the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
- Alcoa Corporation contributes equivalent of $150,000 to $200,000 for the Whitmire Project by agreeing to move 75,000 to 100,000 cu yards (@ $1.95/cu yard) of soil to Whitmire Unit for the construction of the new canal.
- And others
Traylor Cut
- Received a grant from the USFWS to control invasive aquatic species and to remove a sandbar at the mouth of the old Guadalupe River channel in the delta.
MOUs
- Signed an MOU between the Upper Guadalupe River Authority, Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority and the Guadalupe River Conservancy to make the Conservancy the official land trust of both agencies.
- Signed an MOU between the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority and Guadalupe River Conservancy for a joint project to help meet the long-term restoration and water needs of the Myrtle-Foester Whitmire Unit at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.
