Rachel Allyn Sanborn

Term Expires December 2026

Rachel Allyn Sanborn has lived in Hays County since 1981. She became involved in water issues in 1997 by volunteering for the San Marcos River Rangers, part of the Texas Stream Team Network of water quality monitors working to identify non-source pollution and areas of poor water quality. She eventually became the Volunteer Coordinator and has trained over 700 volunteers to serve as citizen scientists monitoring water quality along the San Marcos River and across the state. The River Rangers now boasts over 50 regular volunteers a month – alerting city and county officials to potential problems and learning more about the natural cycles of the San Marcos River.

She has spent the last 20 years developing student and community interest in environmental stewardship and encouraging residents to take an active role in the preservation and protection of their river and aquifer. She has participated in San Marcos and Cypress Creek watershed plans and is familiar with the Habitat Conservation work being done to improve water quality along the San Marcos. She boasts being a veteran trash-picker and kayaker and participates in numerous river clean ups all year long.

Sanborn holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Political Science Department at Southwest Texas State University and has served two terms on the board of the San Marcos River Foundation. She is currently employed with the San Marcos River Foundation to administer the River Ranger program and assist with SMRF’s expanded work in land conservation and watershed protection of the recharge zones. Additionally, she has served seven years as President of the Friends of the San Marcos Library, has volunteered with numerous youth groups and was the 2014 inductee into the San Marcos Women’s Hall of Fame.