draft

This project will divert water from Little Bear Creek during times of high flow. The water will be directed to a former quarry, where it will recharge the Edwards Aquifer. 

This project will help preserve flows at Barton Springs during drought conditions and improve the resiliency of the aquifer from impacts due to climate change and over-pumping.

Construction Status

The contractor was issued a "Notice to Proceed" on Monday, October 7, 2024, marking the official start of construction. The first work will be preliminary in nature, including surveying and setting up erosion controls.

Public Meeting

Thank you to everyone who joined us at a public meeting on Wednesday, October 9, 2024. If you missed the meeting, you can view the slides below or watch a recording of the meeting.

Project Overview

The project consists of digging a diversion channel to connect Little Bear Creek to a wetland and former quarry pit. The wetland will help filter sediments and pollutants from the water. Once water reaches the quarry pit, it will slowly make its way into the Edwards Aquifer.

Diversion of creek water will only occur when there is high flow in the creek. The project will not impact normal flows in the creek, change flood risk, or affect the current recharging of the aquifer from the creek.

The map below outlines shows part of the Water Quality Protection Lands site and shows the plan to direct water within that property.

Map showing overview of project

Construction Impacts

  • Noise: The construction may be noisy since the contractor will need to hammer through rock to create the diversion channel. 
  • Low Water Crossing: The contractor may build a temporary creek crossing around the low water crossing on Arbor Trail, which would require removing some trees and vegetation. The final access plan will be reviewed and approved by Hays County. Any temporary creek crossings will be removed at the end of the project and the area will be restored.
  • Traffic: Traffic impacts are expected to be minimal. Heavy equipment will be brought to the site as well as some materials needed for construction. However, the contractor will be generating and reusing all excavated materials on-site, so construction related traffic should mostly be limited to workers’ vehicles at the beginning and end of the day.

Project Benefits

  • Increases recharge and storage to the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer
  • Helps increase the resilience of the Edwards Aquifer during droughts since diverted water may stay in the area for up to a year
  • Potentially adds 486 acre-feet of water each year to the aquifer, which could result in an increase in flow of half a cubic foot per second at Barton Springs
  • Helps protect salamander habitat by maintaining the flow of water to Barton Springs, which is home to two endangered salamander species: the Barton Springs Salamander and the Austin Blind Salamander

Project Background

This project has been more than 20 years in the making. The project site, in Hays County, was purchased in 2002 as part of a voter-approved bond package and is managed by Austin Water. It is one of many open spaces that make up more than 34,000 acres of Austin Water’s Water Quality Protection Lands. Through this project, the site will provide additional environmental benefits to enhance water supply to the aquifer.

Over 7,000 acres drain to the location of the proposed diversion channel. Over 40% of these lands are protected from future development by Austin Water’s Water Quality Protection Lands Program.

Timeline

Construction is likely to start near the end of September 2024 and is expected to take 10 months.

Questions?

Please reach out to one of the following staff members:

To learn more about the Water Quality Protection Lands, visit AustinTexas.gov/WQPLstory.