Sounds like this will be neat place to visit on a weekend afternoon! Dinosaur footprints can be seen as well!
Canyon Lake Gorge plan in hand
Web Posted: 02/23/2007 01:03 AM CST
Roger Croteau
Express-News
SEGUIN — In the wake of the devastating July 2002 Guadalupe River flood, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers workers realized there was a silver lining in all the devastation.
When the 70,000-cubic-feet of water roared over the spillway every second, it carved an awesome mile-and-a-half gorge through the hills.
Immediately, they started thinking of how the new Canyon Lake Gorge could be developed into a tourist attraction and started working on a plan with the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority.
On Wednesday, the authority board got its first look at a master plan for developing the gorge.
"The gorge is an extremely, extremely, special place and a great part of this effort has gone into preserving that," said Jim Carillo, director of planning for Halff Associates, the consultant that helped craft the plan. "The flood uncovered unique geologic features and using them as an education tool is the fundamental goal of whatever happens with the gorge."
Dinosaur footprints, a geologic fault line and other features now are visible. The sheer cliffs rise 60 feet in places and the erosion uncovered springs, which form a crystal clear stream that spills through a series of waterfalls and pools.
The plan calls for guided tours and self-guided walks along the upper rim of the canyon. The trails will have a series of interpretive learning spots, a couple of ramps to give access to the gorge itself and 30-foot-tall tower overlook would be located near the trailhead.
Halff Associates projects 13,500 to 26,700 people will visit the gorge yearly. The board doesn't have an estimate for the cost of the plan or know when it will be open.
"In the grand scheme of things, the improvements are small and selective to improve access," Carillo said. "What people are coming to see is the gorge."
He noted that anything built in the gorge itself could be washed away in another flood.
Carillo, who worked with the Gorge Preservation Society, a volunteer group, said he hopes Texas Parks and Wildlife Service will help pay for the improvements.
"We think there is a very strong potential for this to be a signature project they latch on to," he said.
Authority officials plan to meet with neighboring landowners March 5 to present the master plan to them.
"We've had some slow starts and stops, but now that we've got this plan in hand I think you will see the ball really start rolling," Tommie Rhoad, GBRA economic development manager, said.
Shelly Sexton, a member of the Gorge Preservation Society, is making a documentary film about the gorge.
"It is a fabulous story and it is a story that is still in progress," she said.
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rcroteau@express-news.net 
