SAN MARCOS, Texas – It was torpedoed in 2019, but the City of San Marcos is hopeful lawmakers will grant it the designation of “Mermaid Capital of Texas” during the 2021 legislative session.

If you talk to a local, the city is already the unofficial mermaid capital. If you visit, you’ll find several mermaid statutes as well as public art devoted to the aquatic creatures of folklore.

The designation is serious business. As well as being a symbol of the city’s history, it’s hoped the designation would promote tourism and raise awareness of the preservation of the San Marcos River.

It’s anticipated a vote will take place in March, it was first reported by The University Star, the student-run newspaper for Texas State University. During the last legislative session, lawmakers simply ran out of time.

Locals will tell you mermaids are related to the San Marcos Springs as well as the former Aquarena Springs amusement park that operated in the 1950s.  Synchronized swimming "Aquamaids" drew hundreds of thousands of visitors to the park for four decades.