Sustainable Design
The Ditch Water Discovery Center, a 3-acre educational facility funded by the Middle Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, illustrates important principles of sustainable land development and environmental education. Located amidst extensive commercial development, the center provides a rare green space, with each element carefully designed to enhance public understanding and engagement with conservation practices.
Middle Trinity Groundwater Conservation District
In alignment with the Middle Trinity Groundwater Conservation District’s mission to protect, preserve, and conserve groundwater, The Ditch displays green infrastructure elements such as rain gardens, bioswales, native vegetation, and a rainwater capture system. These features are designed to mitigate stormwater runoff, promote groundwater recharge, and reduce reliance on irrigation.
Reclaim & Restore
At the center of the facility, visitors can observe the riparian area below from a reclaimed and restored 1900s steel truss bridge, which connects to the outdoor learning center classroom. The outdoor classroom is designed to achieve net-zero energy status using solar power.
The classroom is constructed from recycled steel and has perforated walls with sliding doors and windows to funnel or block airflow making the classroom functional year-round without HVAC.
The building was designed for deconstruction and reuse. The classroom incorporates reclaimed materials, including Thurber bricks sourced from Stephenville streets for the entry plaza, porches, and breezeway, as well as reclaimed wood cladding the walls.
Capture
Rainwater harvested from the classroom’s roof is utilized for onsite irrigation. Additionally, the project features a 1-acre prairie restoration that enhances wildlife habitat, provides erosion control, offers carbon sequestration opportunities, and contributes to stormwater management.
Elements
Center trails are enriched with interpretive elements that offer nuanced insights into the intricate relationship between humans and nature. A rammed earth wall artistically represents the Trinity Aquifer formations underlying the district’s four counties.
Complementing this, three concrete pillars, adorned with steel cutouts of Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), and Yucca (Yucca sp.), display scaled representations of the dense fibrous root systems of native grasses and forbs.
Symbols
A mural of the Trinity aquifer overlaid on the district’s counties includes strategically placed stainless steel tubes symbolizing groundwater well population densities. The center serves as an essential educational resource for district staff to convey the narrative of the Middle Trinity Groundwater Conservation District.
The facility also includes displays of a single-span irrigation pivot and a 1924 Chicago Aermotor windmill, both reflecting the region’s agricultural heritage and providing a glimpse into the historical evolution of groundwater well pumping and irrigation techniques.
Sustainable Design Achievements
100% of Project Electricity is Generated On-Site
97% Reduction in Water Use
1.97 inches (95th Percentile of Precipitation Event) is managed on-site via green infrastructure that supports vegetation and replenishes soil moisture.
100% Native Plant Palette
44% of Materials are Salvaged
54% of the Materials Contain Recycled Content
77% of the Materials Were Manufactured Locally
38% of Materials Manufacturers Support Sustainability in Their Practice
39% of Materials Support Transparency and Safer Chemistry
100% of Soils and Vegetation were Reused On-Site
Diverse education offerings including interactive water conservation, energy efficiency and habitat restoration exhibits, multiple educational art displays, year-round site tours, and programming.
