Established in 1962, the National Natural Landmarks Program each year designates a handful of sites in public or private ownership that embody the best of the nation’s natural heritage. And the newest landmark is a West Texas property.
Located in Terrell County, northeast of Sanderson, The Nature Conservancy’s Independence Creek Preserve encompasses 20,000 acres of limestone hills and canyons. But the heart of the Preserve is its spring-fed stream. Independence Creek is a singular oasis on the desert plains, and it plays an outsized role in our region’s ecology.
Leo Acosta spearheads the landmarks program in the Great Plains region for the National Park Service.
“There are no management requirements of participation in the National Landmarks Program,” he said. “There are no restrictions. It's really a designation just to say that this is a special place and it has nationally significant natural features that are worthy of conserving.”
Independence Creek was recognized as a potential landmark in the 70s, Acosta said. But the ensuing years have only underscored its importance.
Desert springs are always precious, and Independence Creek is fed by a network of such springs, including Caroline Spring, which produces more than 3,000 gallons per minute. When those crystalline waters enter the Pecos River, they increasing the river’s flows by more than 40 percent.
The Pecos is a beleaguered, if storied stream. By improving water quality and quantity in the Lower Pecos, Independence Creek helps sustain a host of vulnerable creatures – from endangered mussels to native fish like the Proserpine shiner, the Rio Grande darter and the Headwater catfish.
The Nature Conservancy of Texas recognized the creek’s significance in the 80s, and acquired the Preserve – in two tracts – in 2000 and 2001. The proposal for landmark designation came as affirmation of the Preserve’s profound value, said Conservancy Stewardship Director Dan Snodgrass.
“The uniqueness of Caroline Spring and then the other spring complexes in the area, they just really are unbelievable,” Snodgrass said. “And the amount of water it provides to the Lower Pecos and the endangered species that live there as a result – it is just way up there high on the list of truly special places in Texas.”
With the Conservancy on board, the park service contracted with a group of independent experts, who confirmed the Preserve’s scientific importance. The National Natural Landmarks Committee reviewed those findings, and sent the proposal on to the National Park Service Advisory Board for approval. Finally, on July 30th, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced the landmark designation.
“Mainly it's an honor to be a recipient,” Snodgrass said. “It's an honor to be able to talk about it, to talk about our property, talk about the uniqueness, the scientific importance of it, and the research that goes on.”
The designation celebrates the Preserve’s critical role not only for aquatic creatures, but for other forms of life – from venerable oak trees to rare birds, like the black-capped vireo. And contemporary people certainly aren’t the first to honor this oasis. The canyonlands around the Lower Pecos contain stunning prehistoric murals, and the Preserve abounds in rock art and other ancient cultural sites.
It’s also a hub for science. There’s research on West Texas wildlife, and on Independence Creek itself. Groundwater is inherently mysterious, but hydrologists are working to locate the recharge zones for the springs. Identifying those sources could help safeguard the oasis.
The landmark designation doesn’t change the Preserve’s status as private property. But Snodgrass said there are volunteer opportunities here. And the Conservancy hosts occasional open events. To visit Independence Creek is to encounter one of West Texas’s hidden lifelines.
