The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment in San Marcos, Texas, protects Spring Lake and the headwaters of the San Marcos River, a place of exceptional ecological and human significance. Fed by more than 200 artesian springs from the Edwards Aquifer, the site supports rare species and critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act. Artifacts dating back 12,000 years point to one of North America’s longest continuously inhabited places. The area later figured in Spanish exploration, early Texas travel routes, and 19th-century settlement. After its years as the popular Aquarena Springs attraction, the site became a Texas State University center for habitat restoration, research, education, and water management.