KYLE, Texas — Floating platforms planted with native wetland vegetation are expected to reach Lake Kyle in spring 2027 as part of a three-year study of whether the nature-based system can improve water quality and help protect the Plum Creek watershed. Texas State University researcher Sangchul Hwang is leading the project, which is funded by a $457,000 grant from the city of Kyle. The team expects to begin building the floating wetlands by the end of 2026, then monitor them to measure their effects. The buoyant structures will hold plants whose roots hang in the water. Those roots can absorb nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, provide habitat for microorganisms that break down pollutants, and trap suspended particles, Hwang said. The approach differs from conventional treatment systems that rely mainly on mechanical equipment or chemicals. Floating wetlands can be anchored in a lake or pond without requiring additional land or major infrastructure, according to the project description. Researchers hope improvements at the lake could also benefit the wider Plum Creek watershed. Plum Creek runs through Hays and Caldwell counties before joining the San Marcos River. The work comes as Kyle’s population has climbed rapidly. U.S. Census Bureau estimates put the city at 69,917 residents in 2025, a 53% increase from 2020. Development can increase stormwater runoff, which may carry sediment, nutrients, bacteria and other pollutants into waterways. The city says Plum Creek has been contaminated with bacteria since 2008. Kathy Roecker, the city’s stormwater management program adviser, said reducing E. coli levels enough to support recreational uses could ease some requirements under Kyle’s stormwater permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The city’s goal, she said, is good water quality. The study will assess whether floating wetlands can contribute to addressing those concerns. Its results will help determine how effective the system is at Lake Kyle; the project’s potential watershed-wide benefits remain to be measured.