Latest news with #WatershedProtectionDepartment
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
City of Austin continues to treat toxic blue-green algae in Lady Bird Lake
The Brief Toxic blue-green algae is back in Lady Bird Lake The City of Austin is still treating the algae that blooms in parts of Lady Bird Lake The harmful algae was first documented in 2019 and has happened every year since then AUSTIN, Texas - If you noticed the water in Lady Bird Lake looks a bit cloudy on Monday evening, that's because the city is treating toxic blue-green algae. That algae, called cyanobacteria, has killed several dogs over the past few years. The backstory "We don't want [our dog] in the water. In the wintertime, he got in the water over here and loving it. We can't do that anymore," Tracy Bruce, who was at Red Bud Isle, said. "We've changed how we walk. There's a couple of places up there where there's fish that he likes to get into and drink water, and so we are skipping that part of the trail," Mark Davis said. The Austin Watershed Department is in the last year of a five-year pilot program to treat toxic blue-green algae blooms on parts of Lady Bird Lake. The pilot program involves spraying lanthanum-modified clay in parts of the lake. The lanthanum molecule added to the clay binds to phosphorus, a key source of nutrients for the algae. "The hope is that it'll reduce their growth and toxicity," Brent Bellinger, conservation program supervisor with the Watershed Protection Department, said. The treatment has been helpful in Red Bud Isle. "We've seen good changes in the phosphorus dynamics," Bellinger said. "The hope is that you can push the system back to what it was before the toxigenic algae were present." However, downriver, changes have been smaller. The pilot program costs $300,000 a year and is funded through a drainage charge on utility bills. Experts collect data on toxicity, water quality, and more to decide what to do next. "We'll put all of this together and look at and try to make some determinations about the overall efficacy of the product of this treatment. We'll weigh that against the costs. Then we'll look at other strategies," Bellinger said. Why you should care The harmful algae was first documented in 2019 and has happened every year since then. Austinites can do their part to reduce toxic algae by using less fertilizer and picking up after their pets. However, there are also upstream contributors, like fertilizers, leaking septic takes, and treated wastewater effluent. Make sure your dogs rinse off if they get in water. Toxins are more likely if the water is warm and stagnant. "I'm really not worried about the blue-green algae so much, especially because we have more of a tendency to go to areas that have flowing water," dog owner Kwesi Coleman said. There will be two more treatments in July and August. If a person has sudden, unexplained symptoms after swimming, they should contact their medical provider or the Texas Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222. For a pet, they should contact their veterinarian. Please also let the city know by completing this reporting form, found at The Source Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Angela Shen
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
‘Wall of water': A look back at catastrophic Memorial Day floods in Austin
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Central Texas has experienced two catastrophic flooding events on Memorial Day weekend going back to the 80s. With rain in the forecast for next week, follow the KXAN First Warning Weather team for forecasts and real-time alerts for severe weather conditions. It's now been ten years since a flash flood hit the Blanco and San Marcos rivers in Hays County — killing at least 13 people, KXAN has previously reported. In Austin itself, roughly five inches of rain fell on Memorial Day in 2015, according to the city — causing roads to close and people to flee to higher ground. 'Units began running calls around 9 a.m. that morning,' Austin Fire Department Assistant Chief Tom Vocke remembered. 'Water and flood-related calls started, but eventually turned into the units that we were working with being assigned to the Pleasant Valley area.' Vocke talked about the fire department's efforts to evacuate people from a neighborhood in that area, which was flooding. At some point, the 'wall of water' came, and the streets turned into rivers, he said. 'We had 27 firefighters working that area at the time. After the water came through, 24 of those firefighters were sheltering in place in high areas with members of the community,' Vocke said. The city of Austin said it has done the following to protect Austin from future flood events since: Improved local drainage systems and infrastructure in flood-prone areas Elevated its Community Rating System flood score, resulting in discounts up to 25% on flood insurance premiums Upgraded Austin's Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) Created a pilot program to help homeowners in flood-prone areas with flood insurance costs During the 1981 Memorial Day flood, more than a foot of water fell in less than three hours, killing 13 people and causing extensive damage, KXAN previously reported. That flood kickstarted significant changes to how Austin prepares for severe flooding — including the creation of the FEWS. Austin created a warning system after 1981 Memorial Day flood, here's how it works That system includes a team of experts who can alert the public and emergency responders to potential flooding. 'The team includes a Program Manager, a Hydrologist Senior, two Engineers, and four IT Support Analysts. Their mission is to identify flood hazards and alert the public and emergency responders about the hazard to protect the lives and property of the public from flooding,' the Watershed Protection Department wrote in a memo to city council. FEWS uses tools like: Rain and stream gages Cameras at low-water crossings Automatic traffic gates Flashing beacons They're also the team behind ATX Floods. 'We ask residents to go look at it. It's a live program. When it rains, we actually offer live updates on which crossings are closed, where there is rainfall. It's a really very good site for residents to go look at,' Ramesh Swaminathan, the assistant director of Austin's Watershed Protection Department, told KXAN previously. Preparing for flooding includes: Making a plan Learning about flood insurance Signing up for emergency alerts 'We are trying to do everything we can, but the community has a role to play, so we [would] really love for them to be part of it. Go to There are many useful links there to be prepared,' Swaminathan said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
City of Austin highlights falling greenhouse gases, increased park space in State of Our Environment Report
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin is celebrating Earth Day by highlighting the state of the city's environment in a new report released on Tuesday. It's all part of the city's efforts to meet the needs of a bustling community, without compromising Austin's natural spaces and environmental protections, according to a press release by the Watershed Protection Department. The 2024 State of Our Environment report shows that, despite the boom in population Austin has seen in recent years, the city's greenhouse gas emissions have significantly declined since its peak in 2011. City celebrates opening of east Austin park with a ribbon cutting In 2024, Austin added over 500 acres of parkland, and the Water Quality Protection Lands Program reinstated 1,673 acres of native grassland savanna, per the release. The city's detailed report shows an improvement in Austin's air quality saw in 2024, compared to 2023 – with the city showing a decrease in the number of days when higher ozone levels and high particulate matter levels were present. The United States Environmental Protection Agency defines particulate matter as 'a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air,' such as dust, smoke, dirt or soot. Although 2024 brought a decline in the number of days with high particulate matter levels, several of those days had more severe levels of particulate matter in the air compared to 2023. The city noted in its findings that its report is not considered official until the data has been certified by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The 2024 State of Our Environment report shows greenhouse gas emissions are on the decline in Austin, but the city says there's still a lot of work to do to reduce the strain on Austin's natural resources. The report shows that in order for the city's environment to thrive, it must drastically reduce those emissions. In 2024, Austin secured a total of $242 million in federal funding to implement changes and expand climate action across both the city, and the wider Central Texas region. According to 2024 data by the Urban Forest Inventory and analysis (Urban FIA), Austin's urban forest features about 12.2 million trees with a trunk diameter of 5 inches or more. The report shows larger trees take up a major portion of Austin's urban tree canopy – with sizeable trees providing shade to much of the area, and improving the city's air quality. The Urban FIA has identified 67 tree species in the Austin area – with native species dominating the list. Ashe Juniper: 30.2% Cedar Elm: 18.1% Texas Persimmon: 6.9% Live Oak: 6.8% Sugar Berry: 4.6% The State of Our Environment report says in 2024, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) acquired more than 500 acres of parkland. The acquisition expanded the Austin area's existing greenbelts, while also purchasing and saving new land for future parks. Some of the new public areas were transferred to PARD through a partnership with the Watershed Protection Department (WPD). According to the city, WPD helped identify sites that previously were only used for water quality and floodplain management, but could be used for things like trails and recreational areas. WPD said the properties maintain watershed protection functions, but now serve the wider community as available outdoor space. 'It's no secret to people who already live in Austin that Central Texas is a beautiful place to call home, in no small part because of our natural resources,' Liz Johnston, the Interim Environmental Officer for the Watershed Protection Department said. 'Families continue to move here, and the city remains dedicated to development that preserves our natural landscapes. Through policies that support affordable housing and environmental protections, Austin is not only meeting the needs of its expanding population but also ensuring that future generations will benefit from clean air, water, and open spaces.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Land owners of nearly a century make deal with the city of Austin to protect it
AUSTIN (KXAN) – The owners of Shield Ranch – a 6,600-acre swath of land spanning Travis and Hays Counties – made a deal with the city of Austin to conserve some of its vulnerable land and protect it from development. Last week, the ranch announced that it was selling to the city over 200 acres of its property to become a conservation easement – an agreement to prevent development into future generations. This allows the land to stay within the family while protecting vulnerable land. 98% of the entire ranch is now protected wildland, according to the Shield-Ayres-Bowen family. 'We have a long history – pushing 90 years – of connection with the land, and we've come to appreciate the value it represents,' said Bob Ayers, a co-owner of the ranch. 'This [agreement] is a way that we can realize a portion of its value – which matters to the family – and still see it protected for future generations of our family and the larger community.' Shield Ranch houses 10% of the Barton Spring Watershed. Conservationists hope preventing development in the area will protect water quality. 'Anywhere humans develop there's going to be impacts,' said Lindsey Sydow, a hydrologist with the Watershed Protection Department. 'We can do our best, but anywhere you put pavement, have cars, and have people generating wastewater and other waste there's going to be some level of impact,' she continued. The new conservation easement represents the final purchase made possible through a 2018 bond election. Among other propositions, voters in 2018 approved Proposition D, releasing $184 million for flood mitigation, open space, and water quality protection. 'Conservation easements protect the property in perpetuity,' Sydow said. 'This program is primarily for protecting water – recharging the Edwards Aquifer – but it can have all these other benefits as well, [including] biodiversity and other ecosystem services.' While the Shield-Ayres-Bowen still made money from the deal, had they chosen to develop on the land, they would have earned much more, said Jeff Francell, director of land protection for the Nature Conservancy in Texas. 'If the family were of a different mindset, it'd be very likely that property would have been developed and water quality in Barton Creek and Barton Springs would be noticeably worse,' Francell said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
