Save Barton Creek Association

2011 Annual Party!

Hanna Morgan — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:12:34 +0000

A big THANK YOU to everyone who joined us in celebrating our 32nd year of working to protect the six watersheds of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer!

WHAT: Annual Party and Awards Ceremony.

WHERE: Zilker Clubhouse, 200 Zilker Clubhouse Drive

WHEN: Monday, November 21st, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.

WHO: Save Barton Creek Association Board, members, and friends (YOU!)

WHY: Because you love the aquifer, local food, beer, and good company. A Salt Lick turkey buffet will be served.

NOTE: This is a free event, feel free to bring friends!

Proposal Request for Water Quality of Barton Springs

SBCA — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:49:13 +0000

SBCA is soliciting proposals for “ground-truthing” the effectiveness of water quality control structures and/or land application wastewater treatment systems in the Barton Springs zone of the Edwards Aquifer.
This study would be in the interest of preserving the water quality of Barton Springs and the Barton Springs Aquifer that recharges it, so please, if you or someone you know might be interested, click here to download the proposal request or click here to contact us. Thank you!

Help Keep Mopac Local!!!

SBCA — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:24:09 +0000

Mopac was built for Austin commuters – help us keep it that way! Go to KeepMopacLocal.org and send a clear message to Travis County Commissioners and the Austin City Council to “Keep Mopac Local.” Currently Mopac operates as a local commuter highway, primarily serving local commuters. But a renewed push to connect the southern end of Mopac over to I-35 by way of the proposed SH 45 Southwest highway would make Mopac a western I-35 alternative. Traffic models show the SH 45 SW connector would add 30,000 cars per day to Mopac.

Vote for Proposition 2!

Hanna Morgan — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:02:03 +0000

Early voting for bond propositions began Monday and will end Nov. 4th so get out there and VOTE! Travis County voters can decide on $82.1 million in bond projects to improve parks and greenways, preserve natural spaces and buy land for parks, including proposals to acquire vast swaths of land in the eastern and western ends of the county. These projects allow us to put the parks and natural areas in place to serve this growing population, which has grown 26 percent since 2000, surpassing 1 million people!

Barton Springs Salamander Update

Hanna Morgan — Wed, 04 May 2011 07:56:45 +0000

The Edwards Aquifer contains numerous intermittent and perennial springs throughout that are home to several species of solely aquatic, perennibranchiate (“always gilled”) Eurycea salamanders. Two of these species have two of the smallest known ranges of any vertebrate species, residing only in the complex of springs known as Barton Springs. Eurycea sosorum, the Barton Springs Salamander, inhabits the surface and immediate subsurface habitat (epigean) of Parthenia Spring (in Barton Springs Pool), Eliza Spring, Sunken Garden, and Upper Barton Spring. Eurycea waterlooensis, the Austin Blind Salamander, inhabits the deeper subterranean habitat beneath the surface of Parthenia, Eliza, and Sunken Garden. Both species require clean, cool, flowing, spring water to thrive; they are stream salamanders, not pond salamanders. The small range sizes, threats to quantity and quality of water emanating from the Barton Springs complex, and harm imposed by cleaning and maintenance of Barton Springs Pool are the main reasons E. sosorum was added to the federal list of endangered species in 1997, and E. waterlooensis was added to the list of candidate species in 2002.

To read the full article, click here.

Recent Developments and Publications Impacting Barton Springs

Hanna Morgan — Wed, 04 May 2011 07:44:06 +0000

As many of you may know, there’s been a steep decline in the number of proposed development projects in the Barton Springs Zone and an increase in projects elsewhere. The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District has published “Desired Future Conditions” and “Sustainable Yields” reports in response to these changes.

To read this report, click here.

Another recent development regarding Barton Springs involves Nico Hauwert, a hydrogeologist at the City of Austin and long-time “student” of the aquifer. In his extensive studies he has discovered that Barton Springs may receive recharge from the Blanco River.

To read an abridged version of his findings, click here.

In Memorium

Hanna Morgan — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 11:56:24 +0000

In 2010 we said goodbye to two of Save Barton Creek Association’s longtime friends and supporters – Wayne Gronquist and Susan Bright.

To learn about the lives of these amazing people and their advocacy for clean water and healthy communities, please click here to read their remembrances.

President’s Farewell Letter – Jon Beall

Hanna Morgan — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 07:35:15 +0000

As we begin this new year I appreciate this opportunity to recap 2010 for you and I am also pleased to announce that I have handed the Presidency gavel off to my dear friend and colleague for the past twenty years at Save Barton Creek Association – Jackie Goodman.

A few events occurred last year that bring changes to the Save Barton Creek Association. Recently, Shudde Fath turned over the financial records to our new Treasurer, Kathy Smartt. For 30 years, Shudde kept meticulous records of every donation, kept the mailing list updated, paid the Association’s bills and prepared the financial statements. She is still going strong in her 90s, and still attends most of the board meetings providing extraordinarily valuable insights and institutional memory. We intend to digitize the trove of information in her fourteen file boxes accumulated during the past thirty years of daily financial management for SBCA. Thanks, Shudde!

Click here to read the full President’s farewell letter, including how SBCA is rising the the changing times and engaging in external dialogue, and other events from the 2010 year.

admin — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 23:08:10 +0000

NEW!! We now meet the second and fourth Mondays of every month at Casa Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant (1000 South Lamar Boulevard), from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

Please join us for a lively dialogue focused on the protection and conservation of the waters, flora and fauna of the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer.

Come Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Barton Creek PUD All-Night Hearing

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:25:10 +0000

Join SBCA, SOS Alliance, the Sierra Club and the Austin Environmental Community in celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Famous Barton Creek PUD all-night hearing of June 7, 1990. On that night, more than 1000 citizens signed up to speak to Austin city council in opposition to the planned 4,000-acre Barton Creek PUD. After an all-night meeting, council unanimously rejected the PUD, and a movement began to strengthen the 1986 Comprehensive Watersheds ordinance. In the words of SBCA’s Jackie Goodman, “June 7, 1990 was the day that awareness and unified commitment became a visible political movement that couldn’t be downplayed anymore. ”

Many events are planned over the next week. We hope to see a great turnout as we honor our past and look towards our shared future.

TONIGHT, Tues. June 1: Blue grass at Barton Springs poolside with The Lost Pines from 8-10pm

Thursday, June 3: View Alan Pogue’s photos of June 7, 1990 from 5:30pm – 8:30pm