David Touchon, NPSOT Boerne Board Member, July 2026
One drop of rain cannot be blamed for the flood; instead a vast number of them in the right location can have a large effect. Where the countless drops land can make a great difference! Percolation and retention of water throughout the Texas Hill Country can be a tough bargain since the soil horizon tends to be shallow and often times capped with limestone.
Small places, that typically don’t “run” until a significant rain event, are just small places commonly referred to as gullies, swales, hollows, ditches or hidden clefts within the hillside. We do not see the effect within these areas until that larger-than-normal rainfall event. These places are typically overlooked, and many observational management strategies arise “after the fact”.
The land shows us the meaning of deposition and why certain areas look or behave like they do. Shoals of rock appear after the rain as a curious footprint of hydrological deposition. Landowners inherit debris of all sizes, which can be a welcome addition to their land or deemed as an eyesore to the urban interface. Bent trees that have endured the surge of water serve as a reminder of the potential with the smaller places.
The small areas that I have mentioned are typically located well away from the named rivers and creeks. The small areas are known by their location but have no names. The small areas have their own microsystems and often have their own flora and fauna. It is deep within the smaller areas where the truly native floral species live, hidden from view and, as my good friend Kenneth Butler would say, “managed through benign neglect”. The small areas will “run” with an influential rain, however, the speed of the water is more of a creep than a rush. Accumulation of water within these areas is readily soaked up by juniper duff. Only when complete saturation is achieved, undercutting occurs and the duff layer interface with native limestone begins to run.
Where the rain falls is the largest question. Everyone understands the concept of absorption within the native lands, however when the water falls in the city center, the equation becomes complex. Impermeable surfaces shed water at a higher rate, which increases velocity, resulting in a greater transport load.
We envision clear, cool, syrupy streams, which is the case most of the year. We manage the riparian areas with great care to serve as a filter and a shady respite from the summer sun. When the rain comes, we hold our breath and pray that the work that we have done along the water course will hold. In many cases, Mother Nature has different ideas that ultimately overrule our human brains. The urge to repair and heal is deeply humanistic, but Mother Nature answers to know one.
So, what do we do? Small areas and an incremental approach! The small areas are commonly found across many private property lines. Found along interstates, neighborhoods, subdivisions, rights-of-way and strange, unmarked portions of the county. You can notice the small areas since they typically are not maintained and are curiously dense for their size. Many of the small areas that I observed are sandwiched between large businesses, since the topography is not right for development or there is an influence from a water course.
Small spaces tend to serve as “strainers” for the urban interface and secretly house some of the truly unique flora specimens! Who would have thought that a sycamore-leaf snowbell would grow out of an old 18-wheeler tire hub?
Small places make up a gargantuan area of the greater watershed, which ultimately leads to larger named areas of the local watershed. Everything within the smaller places yearns downward movement over time, but for now they “hold the hill”.
If you are fortunate enough to discover a small space on your property, treat it with care and let it grow. We are simply borrowing these areas for a while, so please remember this quote from Mike Tyson: “Everyone has a plan until you get punched in the mouth”.
See you in the small areas!
