The Ditch Water Discovery Center
Published by TAGD Staff
An innovative, sustainable, multi-purpose facility just opened and is making waves in a North Central Texas community. Is it a hip new winery? Ritzy wedding venue? Off-grid food truck park? I’m talking about The Ditch Water Discovery Center, an avant-garde educational project of the Middle Trinity Groundwater Conservation District.
The Ditch is located in Erath County on the western edge of Stephenville, surrounded by urban development and across the street from a new high school football stadium. In almost comical contrast to its colossal concrete neighbor with 1,686 parking spaces and an artificial turf field, The Ditch is a verdant refuge meticulously designed to exemplify principles of sustainable design and enhance visitors’ understanding of the natural world. There is so much to share about this unique site – read on for some of the highlights.
Conservation Demonstrations
Aiming to showcase conservation practices that homeowners, businesses, and communities can adopt, The Ditch offers a dynamic demonstration of several green infrastructure components. Rain gardens and bioswales strategically sculpt the property, gently coaxing rainfall into their basins to be filtered by vegetation before making its way to the aquifer as recharge. Any runoff is slowed and directed to the riparian buffer area of the center’s namesake storm wastewater ditch that bisects the landscape. This unique feature was preserved during the construction phase of the project and its banks are connected by a 1900s steel truss bridge.




Clad with reclaimed Thurber brick, the breezeway and porches of The Ditch’s learning facility invite visitors from the bridge into the net zero energy building. The classroom is skinned with reclaimed wood and rusty metal mesh sliding doors, offering protection from the elements without decreasing the feel of the natural surroundings. A 3,400-gallon cistern captures rainwater from the 2,690-square-foot roof to supply water for irrigating the native landscape.
The north side of the property features a one-acre prairie restoration area that enhances wildlife habitat, provides erosion control, offers carbon sequestration opportunities, and contributes to stormwater management. Interpretive signage orients visitors and provides educational insights along the crushed granite trails that meander throughout The Ditch.
Educational Exhibits
Middle Trinity GCD worked closely with Lake Flato Architect Firm, Studio Outside, Regenerative Environmental Design, and fd2s Inc. to not only design a sustainable project, but also beautiful, informative exhibits that reinforce the center’s main messaging focusing on groundwater and its importance. Key installations include an artistic interpretation of the Middle Trinity Aquifer system portrayed through a rammed earth wall, a native plant root system display, and a mural representing the approximate well distribution within the Trinity Aquifer and district boundaries. Other notable exhibits include a single span of a center pivot irrigation system and a 1924 Chicago Aermotor windmill offering insights into the historical evolution of groundwater well pumping and irrigation techniques.



Community Engagement
A ribbon cutting and open house was hosted at The Ditch in late October to commemorate the project’s completion. Middle Trinity GCD now has the pleasure – and task – of spreading the word and inviting the district’s constituents to experience this marvel. Field trips for schools and other youth groups will likely be the bulk of the visitation, but the district also envisions other unique uses for this community asset.
Stephanie Keith, Middle Trinity GCD’s Education & Public Relations Coordinator, has already developed partnerships to bring exciting, non-traditional programs to The Ditch. A local yoga instructor has taught monthly “Flow in Nature” yoga sessions for all ages. In September, the Tarleton State University Wildlife Society hosted a moth lighting event, including a presentation about local moths, light stations to draw moths in, and showing participants how to record their moth sightings on the iNaturalist citizen science app. Any moths in attendance surely enjoyed the restored prairie surroundings!
Followers of The Ditch’s Facebook page are treated to conservation information, facts about native plant species, and event updates. They were also recently invited to enjoy a remote work session at The Ditch’s picturesque lawn or classroom! In The Ditch’s open classroom, visitors can take advantage of tables, seating, wi-fi, power outlets, restrooms, a water bottle refill station, and amazing views inside the beautiful solar-powered learning center. An open invitation into this new space bolsters the intent of The Ditch to truly be a resource to the community.
To learn more about The Ditch Water Discovery Center, visit https://www.exploretheditch.org/. The center’s operations are managed entirely by Middle Trinity GCD. Contact Stephanie Keith for any questions about The Ditch or to set up a visit.


Photos courtesy of fd2s, Stephanie Keith, and Greenhouse Nature School.