Immersive Infrastructure:

Estuary Education Center

As water resources become more scarce, the issue of their rightful allocation can become a vexing political question. Nowhere is that more clear than in the watershed of the Lower Colorado River which runs from the prairies of northwest Texas to the beaches of the Gulf Coast through one of the most rapidly growing regions in the country.

The waters of the Colorado provide a broad range of upstream services including recreation, electrical production, irrigation, and drinking water however, they also nourish a vibrant delta ecosystem that provides a series of valuable ecosystem services including water filtration, storm mitigation, habitat for migrating birds and commercially important species of fish and shellfish.  As the burgeoning communities of the Texas Triangle grow, they consume more water threatening this habitat and disrupting these services. This project endeavors to teach Texans about the role of the river and how their actions impact its health.

The project aims to expand public understanding of the estuary and its valuable services by transforming the esturay into a public park, establishing  an environmental education center, and building a series of infrastructural interventions to facilitate access to the variegated landscape. It is hoped that by allowing people to engage with the land first hand, they will forge a personal connection and be motivated to protect this powerful place.