Jump to main content

Edwards Aquifer Authority Education Outreach Center Demonstration Garden receives the Texas Water Development Board’s Texas Rain Catcher Award

For immediate release. Contact: Media Relations at 512-463-5129

AUSTIN – (September 23, 2021) – The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) announced today the recipients of its annual Texas Rain Catcher Award, a rainwater harvesting competition and recognition program. The Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) Education Outreach Center Demonstration Garden at Morgan’s Wonderland Camp was recognized in the educational category.

The TWDB's Texas Rain Catcher Award recognizes excellence in the application of rainwater harvesting systems in Texas, promotes rainwater harvesting technology, and educates the public on this critical water-saving practice. 

The EAA has partnered with Morgan’s Wonderland Camp, a 102-acre recreational area in San Antonio that offers a summer camp experience for people with and without special needs. The EAA Education Outreach Center installed a rainwater harvesting system with two tanks that serves as the only water source at the Center’s demonstration garden. The system and garden will be used to educate attendees about the benefits of conserving water through rainwater harvesting and reducing erosion by planting native plants, while also providing unique learning experiences through participation in innovative STEM opportunities with an inclusive mindset.

The larger tank will hold more than 20,000 gallons collected from the 6,376 square-foot roof and will feed into the smaller tank, which holds about 1,000 gallons for drip irrigation. The demonstration garden will be watered solely from the collected rainwater and will eliminate the need to use conventional sources.

The Texas Rain Catcher Award competition began in 2007 and is open to all individuals, companies, organizations, municipalities, and other local and state governmental entities in Texas. It recognizes entities and individuals in the rainwater harvesting community and beyond and establishes award recipients as dedicated water conservation leaders in Texas. The EAA Education Outreach Center Demonstration Garden is one of four awardees being recognized statewide this year.

The TWDB is the state agency charged with collecting and disseminating water-related data, assisting with regional water and flood planning, and preparing the state water and flood plans. The TWDB administers cost-effective financial assistance programs for the construction of water supply, wastewater treatment, flood control, and agricultural water conservation projects.