City awards contract for Purgatory Creek Improvements project’s next phase (Source: San Marcos Daily Record)

By Nick Castillo

The City of San Marcos’ Purgatory Creek Channel Improvements project moves forward with the city awarding a contract to civil engineer firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. to begin work on its next phase.

The city hired LAN in April 2018 to develop a preliminary design to mitigate flooding conditions on Purgatory Creek from Wonder World Drive to its confluence with the San Marcos River, which is approximately 2 miles. Alongside flood mitigation, the city saw a chance to enhance the quality of water entering the river and establish sustainable, multi-use trails for public use through this project.

“The City of San Marcos has had a history of major flooding events including within the Purgatory Creek watershed,” said John Espinoza, City of San Marcos project manager. “With the support of city council and its citizens, we are taking a holistic approach to address flood mitigation and to improve water quality and public space/connectivity. The Purgatory Creek project is one of the many important projects the city is currently conducting and gives us a great opportunity to partner with our stakeholders including local foundations and civic groups.”

Purgatory Creek carries flow from the entire Purgatory watershed through the city, reaching the San Marcos River through Children’s Park at Bicentennial Park. Flood prone areas exist adjacent to the creek, which causes street crossing to be over-topped during storms, causing traffic disruptions.