Lampasas residents can soak in the beauty along Sulphur Creek on a new 2,200-foot-long path that extends between the Western Street and Fourth Street bridges.
The project was spearheaded by Forward Lampasas, a nonprofit organization that formed earlier this year. With the trail now completed, residents can enjoy a walk along the creek from W.M. Brook Park to the Fourth Street bridge – a span of nearly 1.5 miles.
Seeing the 11-month project come to fruition Thursday brought a smile to the face of Forward Lampasas member Deorald Finney.
“I think there were 20 truckloads of decomposed granite brought in and spread in and compacted, and to see that last little section [completed] – it was a really good feeling,” Finney said.
In late January, Forward Lampasas kicked off the project by working to remove invasive species along the creek bed.
The Lampasas Fire Department played a role in helping the group of volunteers conduct controlled burns along the creek. Also, Forward Lampasas member Mike Irvin of Irvin Steel Construction aided the project by removing trash and debris that had been left by temporary dwellers along Sulphur Creek.
Throughout the process, Finney noted city leadership was supportive of the project.
“Financially, no money was involved, but the moral support has been amazing,” Finney said of the city’s backing on the creek project.
After taking the first half of the year to spruce up the creek, Forward Lampasas hosted a community fish fry on June 27 to show off their progress. The group’s efforts, however, were halted by flooding in early July that dumped additional loads of debris along the creek.
Forward Lampasas organizer Eddie Bowden, who launched the nonprofit group in April 2024, is satisfied with the work that has been done since the flood’s destruction.
“It was hard to go down there for a while. After the flood, it was like, oh my gosh, I don’t want to even go down there,” Bowden said. “I can’t believe it is this far along,” he added of the progress.
Finney is optimistic that if another flood does occur, the creek will hold firm.
“We’ve all come to the realization that there is going to be some repairs and maintenance along the way,” he said. “But Cooper Spring [Nature Park] has been flooded a number of times, and it’s amazing with this compacted [granite] that the trail will still be there.”
Now that the approximately 2,200foot path has been formed, Forward Lampasas is looking toward future improvements for the area. On Friday, Finney said the city’s electrical department gave the OK for the group to install electrical lines to power light posts along Sulphur Creek.
Finney, who also serves as president of the Lampasas Economic Development Corp. Board of Directors, was told by city officials it could be possible for the nonprofit organization to receive funds from the EDC to help power the creek lights.
“Should the EDC decide to invest in this trail, we can pay for lighting,” Finney said. “Of course, that is going to be a board approval, and the expenditures are going to be high enough that the city will have to be involved for approvals of that.”
With the developed trail lying on the west side of the creek, Forward Lampasas has pondered the idea of extending the trail along both sides of the creek. But to make that dream become a reality, some serious excavation on the east side of Sulphur Creek would be required, along with approval from landowners.
“It is going to depend on a couple of the other landowners,” Finney said. “We just don’t want to invade anybody’s privacy. If they have it fenced off, then we need to have their permission [to work along there]. At least, in my mind we do.”
Overall, Bowden said local landowners living near the creek have been supportive of the project. Those who initially were wary of the idea are starting to get the full picture of what it could become.
“Initially, one of the biggest stretches through there that one individual owned was kind of hesitant,” Bowden said. “He didn’t know exactly what we were trying to accomplish. He just told me last week he is ready to talk to us and would like to see it [the walking trail] on his side of the creek.”
Like it did with the fish fry in June, Forward Lampasas is eyeing another date to unveil its progress to Lampasas residents.
“We are planning to do something again,” Bowden said about another community gathering.