Texas grabs more land for future parks expansions

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced it’s acquiring more land to create a new state park close to an already popular recreation area.

TPWD says it purchased more than 2,000 acres (over 800 hectares) of land along two miles (3.2 miles) bordering the Colorado River in central Texas. Texas’ Colorado River is much smaller and shouldn’t be confused for the more famous Colorado River that runs through Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.

Lying on the opposite bank is Colorado Bend State Park. However, TPWD says it intends to manage this latest land holding to create an entirely new state park that would sit adjacent to Colorado Bend.

“This property near the current Colorado Bend State Park is the cornerstone for what will be a brand-new park,” said TPWD Chairman Jeff Hildebrand in a release.

TPWD did not indicate how much was spent to purchase the land. However, the agency did disclose that the funds came from the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund. The Centennial Fund is a $1 billion pool that Texas’ legislature has set aside and authorizes TPWD to use to either create new state parks or expand and improve existing parks.

This latest land purchase announcement follows a similar deal. TPWD recently disclosed that it bought more than that will be used to expand the areas of Enchanted Rock State Natural area near the community of Fredericksberg.

“It is exciting to add another incredible property that will eventually become a new Texas State Park,” said Texas State Parks Director Rodney Franklin.TPWD says it will take months to draft a development plan for the new site. The agency promise to keep the public in the loop.