Passport to Texas

Blanco State Park damage

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Over Memorial Day weekend, 12 inches of rain fell in Central Texas, causing the Blanco River—which runs through Blanco State Park—to crest at 40 feet.

13—The water rose very quickly, so it basically tore through the park. The park was destroyed. There were trees up in trees 20 feet high. Our office building—we had seven feet of water in there. So, we have to completely rebuild everything.

Park interpreter, Kate Boysen, says portions of the park reopened for visitation in August.

12— It was a lot of work, and we had a lot of help. We had the Texas A&M Forrest Service, and different fire departments from all around the state come and help us to remove debris, cut down trees, cut trees out of trees…

Staff and volunteers disposed of debris, leveled the ground, and replaced picnic tables and signage. There’s more work to do, but visitors are welcome.

20— The HQ building where you enter, that’s currently open. That’s where you can pay your day use fees and get your registration for camping… And then as you enter the park, the south side of the river, which is the side where the camping is—and then we have a day use section there—and that’s the only side that’s open right now. And that’s the only side that people can access the river from.

For the most up to date information about the current status of all state parks, visit texasstateparks.org.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.