Austin, Texas

Austin straddles the Colorado River in the Hill Country of Texas, 80 miles northeast of San Antonio. In 1934, the City of Austin set aside its first preserve, now known as the Austin Nature Center. Back then, Austin had a population of roughly 80,000 people and was largely known as the state capital and home of the University of Texas. With its live music scene and successful high-tech industries, Austin now has a population of more than 700,000 and the entire five-county region has a population of 1.4 million. Today, the City is also recognized as a leader in open space preservation and aquifer protection strategies. 

The bedrock known as Karst, pictured here at the Austin Nature Center, has a “swiss cheese” structure, with caves, sinkholes, springs and underground drainages that can be easily disrupted or contaminated.

Abundant water from Barton Springs first supported Native American tribes, then Spanish explorers and finally Anglo-American settlements beginning as far back as 1821. But Austin growth began to change the landscape, degrade the quality of streams and reduce flows in local springs. Led by committed individuals, Austin responded with a wide array of preservation strategies resulting in the Austin Nature Preserve System, the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve, the Water Quality Protection Lands as well as regulations and incentives to steer development away from lands that are most critical to the Edwards Aquifer.

Austin Nature Preserve System

Local environmental organizations and civic groups energized the formation of the Austin Nature Preserves System. In 1954, the Travis County Audubon Society succeeded in creating nature trails on land owned by the Austin Water Utility, resulting in the Bee Creek Preserve.  In 1972, the Audubon Society created an inventory of 88 important biological and geological sites in Travis County. When the City did its own survey in 1980, it found that one third of the sites in the Audubon study were significantly disturbed. One year later, the Audubon Society, Sierra Club, Wildlife Rescue and other conservation organizations worked with the City’s Department of Environmental Protection to develop a Capital Improvements Program capable of preserving a variety of Austin’s remaining natural habitats. In 1982, the citizens of Austin approved a $5.7-million bond to begin acquisitions and make the Austin Nature Preserves System a reality.

As of 2006, the Austin Nature Preserve System included 13 preserves with a combined area of 1,111 acres. The largest of these preserves is the 200-acre Indiangrass Wildlife Sanctuary, a prairie grassland community with a full complement of woodlands, wetlands and tallgrass species. At the Goat Cave Karst Nature Preserve and the Blowing Sink Nature Preserve, fragile sinkhole ecosystems are reserved for wildlife and research. But at most of the preserves, hikers are free to explore and learn about the natural heritage of Austin.

Balcones Canyonlands Preserve

A flowering cactus in Blunn Creek Nature Preserve, one of 13 preserves created through the cooperation of Austin with the Audubon Society, the Sierra Club, Wildlife Rescue and other conservation organizations.

In 1990, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the golden-cheeked warbler as an endangered species. The listing was prompted by the clearing of juniper habitat to make way for urban growth spreading from Austin and other communities in central Texas. In response, Austin and Travis County worked with Travis Audubon Society, the Lower Colorado River Authority, The Nature Conservancy of Texas and landowners to prepare the Balcones Canyonlands Preservation Plan (BCPP). This plan demonstrates how the survival of these species can be achieved through the permanent preservation of over 30,000 acres of critical habitat. In 1992, Austin voters approved a $22-million bond to accomplish some of the needed acquisition. But the plan also relies on its partners, including the Travis Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy of Texas, to protect much of the land needed for a successful preserve. In 1996, US Fish and Wildlife issued a 10(a) permit, approving the BCPP as a multispecies regional habitat conservation plan. This permit is known as an “incidental take” permit because it allows development of some habitat lands to proceed as allowed by the plan even though such activity might incidentally “take” individual members of the listed species.

As of 2002, the Preserve included 26,323 acres, with Austin holding 13,034 acres in sixteen separate tracts and Travis County protecting 2,289 acres. In addition to the City and County, Travis Audubon Society has pledged its 680-acre Baker Sanctuary to the BCP. The Nature Conservancy of Texas has committed its 4,084-acre Barton Creek Habitat Preserve. And the Lower Colorado River Authority, a public services provider, has supported the BCP with over 2,500 additional acres in three of its preserves: Wheless, McGregor and Westcave. The program partners are obligated to preserve the remaining 4,000 acres by 2016.

The environmental management of the BCP helps to protect water supply and quality while preserving critical habitat. About half of the individual components of the BCP are not open to the public except for guided hikes. However, many others are available for a wide variety of outdoor recreational activities. For example, in addition to protecting wildlife habitat, Austin’s Barton Creek Greenbelt and Wilderness Park protects water supply and quality, creates natural separation between neighborhoods and offers outdoor recreation opportunities including hiking, mountain biking, tubing, swimming, spelunking and picnicking.

Water Quality Protection Lands

While primarily designed to preserve the habitat of endangered species, the 30,000-acre Balcones Canyonlands Preserve also protects watersheds, creates greenbelts and provides opportunities for various forms of recreation, including rock climbing.

The aquifers that provide drinking water to the Austin region are particularly prone to contamination from activities on the surface, including development. While the land preservation accomplished through the Austin Nature Preserve System and the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve help to protect groundwater as well as habitat, Austin embarked on a third land preservation strategy known as the Water Quality Protection Lands. In 1998, Austin voters approved Prop 2, which authorized $65 million in bonds for the protection of 15,000 acres of land in and around the recharge zones for the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer. One of the discharge points for this aquifer is the Barton Springs swimming pool, a 900-foot long spring-fed recreational attraction beloved by City residents.

By 2000, the City had already purchased over 7,169 acres outright and acquired conservation easements on an additional 7,709 acres. Most of this land is in the Barton Creek Watershed but the program also protects portions of the Bull Creek, Slaughter Creek, Bear Creek and Onion Creek watersheds. The protected lands are primarily oak and juniper forests or grass savannas surrounding creeks, caves and sinkholes. A Stakeholder Steering Committee, (composed of representatives from neighborhood groups and conservation organizations as well as public agencies), convened to help craft management plans to assure environmental protections while also allowing other uses where appropriate. As of 2006, the public access to Water Quality Protection Lands was generally limited to guided hikes. However, Austin has also been acquiring land for parks and greenways. Most notably, Austin voters approved a $40 million bond for the acquisition of parks and greenways on the City’s east side in November 1998, only six months after approving $61 million for the Water Quality Protection Lands. In addition, as reported by Christopher Duerksen and Cara Snyder in Nature Friendly Communities: Habitat Protection and Land Use Planning, Austin’s subdivision approval process contains land dedication requirements (or fees in lieu of dedication) that have resulted in the acquisition of almost 10,000 additional acres of park land.

The popular Barton Springs Pool, fed by the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer, is a potent reminder of the need for watershed protection in Austin.

Water Quality Regulations and Transfer of Coverage Limits

In addition to the Austin Nature Preserve System, the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve and the Water Quality Protections Lands, Austin safeguards its water through development regulations and a variation of transfer of development rights. These regulations were developed by environmental organizations in response to water quality deterioration in Barton Springs and Barton Creek. Packaged as the “Save Our Springs” ordinance, these rules were presented to voters and approved overwhelmingly in 1992. These stringent regulations remain in place today, demonstrating the commitment of the people of Austin to environmental preservation in general and water quality protection in particular.