Purgatory Creek Channel Improvements Project Moves Forward (Source: San Marcos Corridor News)

By Terra Rivers

The Purgatory Creek Channel Improvements project moves forward with the City of San Marcos awarding a contract to civil engineering firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) to start work on the project’s next design phase.

Purgatory Creek carries flow from the entire Purgatory watershed through San Marcos ultimately reaching the San Marcos River through Children’s Park at Bicentennial Park.

With the existing Purgatory Creek channel conditions, the areas adjacent to the creek are prone to flooding and street crossings within the city limits are overtopped during storm events, disrupting traffic.

In April 2018, the City hired LAN to develop a preliminary design to mitigate flooding conditions on Purgatory Creek from Wonder World Drive to its confluence with the San Marcos River, a distance of approximately two miles.

In addition to flood mitigation, the City saw an opportunity to improve the quality of the water entering the San Marcos River and create sustainable, multi-use trails for the public through this project.