PROGRAMS
With rich Blackland prairie in the east to the rolling hills of the Edward’s plateau in the west, Austin’s diverse geography is home to thousands of plant and animal species. Unfortunately, not all of these organisms are beneficial; Austin’s natural resources and economy are being degraded by exotic invasive species.
Lake Austin, Lady Bird Lake, and Walter E. Long Lake are man-made reservoirs (that are also known as lakes)!
Austin has numerous creeks throughout town. All are subject to flash flooding. The creek flooding program undertakes projects to protect lives and reduce property damage when these creeks overflow their banks.
The riparian zone is the transition area between the aquatic environment and the terrestrial environment. Healthy riparian buffers with mature vegetation provide a wide range of critical ecological and water quality services.
The EII is a program designed to continuously monitor and assess the chemical, biological, and physical integrity of Austin’s creeks and streams. Currently, all watersheds are monitored on a two-year rotating basis.
The primary goal of the Stream Restoration Program is development of safe and stable stream systems that protect the Austin community from erosion and encourage the use and enjoyment of Austin’s creeks and lakes.
The Field Operations Division protects and manages Austin’s natural waterways, engineered channels, drainage pipelines and storm water ponds that together make up our city’s drainage system.
The Flood Early Warning System monitors rainfall, water levels and low water crossings in Austin 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. During a flood, we work closely with emergency managers for the most effective and timely community response.
Much of west Austin sits above the environmentally-sensitive Edwards Aquifer which supplies drinking water to more than 60,000 people, feeds countless springs, including Barton Springs, and supplies water to the Colorado River.
Before stormwater runoff reaches a creek, it usually flows through a system of smaller ditches and drainage pipes. Austin has over 1,100 miles of such systems. The Local Flood Program evaluates and upgrades these systems to address flooding.
The Regional Stormwater Management Program (RSMP) is an alternative means of compliance to the City of Austin’s detention requirements. Funding the Watershed Protection Department receives through the program is used for planning, designing, and constructing drainage infrastructure improvements to reduce the risk of flooding.
Austin is home to three species of aquatic salamanders that occur no where else in the world except in and around this city: The Barton Springs Salamander, Austin Blind Salamander and Jollyville Plateau Salamander.
The Stormwater Treatment program designs, implements and evaluates engineered systems that reduce pollution in our creeks, lakes and aquifers. The program seeks to use stormwater as a resource rather than a waste product.
Stretching from Waterloo Park to Lady Bird Lake, the Waller Creek Tunnel helps reduce the risk of flooding in downtown Austin.
The Water Quality Compliance program protects Austin waterways from the impacts of point-source pollution by responding to environmental emergencies and enforcing Austin’s water quality regulations.
The Watershed Protection Strategic Plan is the guiding blueprint for our department. The Strategic Plan helps us understand and address existing flooding, erosion, and water quality problems. It helps us prepare for future challenges.