Hill Country Conservancy

HILL COUNTRY CONSERVANCY

THE HILL COUNTRY CONSERVANCY (HCC)

History
A 1999 groundbreaking "peace treaty" between the Real Estate Council of Austin, the environmental community, and the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce forever changed the way those organizations do business with one another. In light of the tremendous growth that the Austin area experienced, all three organizations recognized the need to balance growth with the protection of precious natural resources of the Central Texas Hill Country that are, in part, why so many people locate here.
As a result of their mutual desire to end the "scorched Earth" political tactics of the previous several decades, the organizations created and co-funded the Hill Country Conservancy (HCC) in January 2000. RECA made an initial contribution of $100,000 to HCC. In addition, RECA members are the other major contributors to HCC.
The Hill Country Conservancy works to ensure a healthy environment and economy in the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer region by preserving natural areas, scenic vistas, rivers and streams, working farms and ranches, and the rural heritage of the Texas Hill Country for generations to come.
HCC's mission is to marshal public and private resources to preserve the natural areas and scenic vistas, aquifers and springs, rivers and streams, working farms and ranches, and the rural heritage of the Central Texas Hill Country for people to enjoy and cherish for generations to come. HCC's goal is to conserve at least 50,000 acres of land focusing on scenic vistas, providing recreational opportunities, protecting water quality and quantity, and preserving the legacy of the Hill Country. This effort began with the simple desire to put differences aside for the good of the community in Austin. It is a best-case example of what can happen when people of different backgrounds and goals actually listen to one another with an open mind and decide to work together.
The HCC Board, including several RECA Board members, represents a broad coalition of business people, professional conservationists, and landowners pursuing conservation strategies through fee simple acquisition, gifts, grants, capital campaigns, conservation easements, and many other methods. The HCC Board emphasizes utilizing funding mechanisms that avoid new fees, assessments, taxes, or other increases that could adversely affect business.
The HCC Board hired George Cofer, a longtime Austin environmentalist, as its first Executive Director to oversee the effort to fulfill the Conservancy's mission. For more information, go to HCC's website.
RECA Increases Pledge to HCC to $500,000
RECA increase pledge
HCC's Fred Ellis, HCC President David Armbrust, 2005 RECA President Jim Knight and 2006 RECA President Terry Mitchell
On March 8, 2006, RECA President Terry Mitchell presented HCC President David Armbrust with a contribution, representing the most significant investment made in RECA's history. RECA's Board approved a $400,000 pledge to be paid to HCC over the next 10 years for open space acquisition, a legacy for the residents of Central Texas.
Together with RECA's previous donation of $100,000, RECA becomes the first of the HCC's founding organizations to pledge more than $500,000 to open space preservation in Central Texas. The $400,000 pledge is one of the largest in the HCC's history.
RECA took a leading role in forming and funding the HCC. RECA's initial pledge to the HCC was a result of an historic partnership between RECA, the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, and the Save Our Springs Alliance. RECA honored its agreement by making five, annual contributions of $20,000 each.
In addition to RECA's previous and current financial commitments, individual RECA members have also contributed to the HCC for open space acquisition funding and for the administration of the HCC. RECA is clearly leading with our checkbook, with the goal of encouraging other individuals and organizations to match the efforts of RECA and its members to provide private funding for additional open space acquisition.
Status August 2011
Working with many other partners (USFWS, NRCS, Hays County, LCRA, the City of Austin, and the Nature Conservancy of Texas), the HCC has conserved more than 25,000 acres of land in the Barton Springs Aquifer region and broader Texas Hill Country since its inception in 1999 - a conservation achievement valued at more than $250 million. The goal is to conserve an additional 20,000 acres in the next ten years.
The preservation of these "vast open spaces" has been accomplished with funding from voter-approved bonds, federal grants, private donations, and donated professional services. Separate studies published by Texas A&M University and the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce reached the same conclusion: that the region's economic growth and prosperity are inextricably tied to the preservation of its open space and other natural resources. The HCC works with numerous local, state, and federal agencies, private individuals, and corporations to craft cutting edge solutions to the complex challenges of preserving the economy and the environment.
Some of HCC's accomplishments include:
HCC/Nalle Bunny Run Wildlife Preserve on Lake Austin - Valuable wildlife habitat has been protected on the Bunny Run Wildlife Preserve (BRWP), which is located in close proximity to the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve. These 37 acres of wildlife habitat on Lake Austin were donated to the HCC in 2001 by the Nalle family, in remembrance of Anne Byrd Nalle. Habitat enhancement continues with grants from the Powell Foundation and REI that have provided support for ecological restoration "work days" involving the Boy Scouts of America, the Environmental Corps division of American YouthWorks, TreeFolks, and other volunteers. These generous contributions of time and money make it possible for the HCC to continue managing the preserve for the benefit of wildlife habitat, water quality improvement, and public enjoyment of the property.
Autumn Woods - In December 2006, the HCC received a donated conservation easement on the "Autumn Woods" property that lies along Little Bear Creek just south of Austin near Brodie Lane and 1626. Thanks to a substantial contribution of development rights from Rocky and Kelly Romano and Robert McDonald, Autumn Woods will remain mostly undeveloped in perpetuity. This beautiful 132-acre property provides high quality recharge to the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer. Adjacent to other undeveloped land, including the City of Austin's Water Quality Protection Lands, Autumn Woods is a special place with abundant and diverse native vegetation and wildlife that characterizes the history and heritage of ranches in the aquifer region. The HCC's ecologically-focused management of Autumn Woods will help provide clean drinking water, healthy wildlife habitat, and scenic views.
Gibson/Ragsdale Ranch - In May 2007, the HCC and the City of Austin joined forces to purchase a conservation easement on the historic 500-acre Gibson Homestead Ranch, now known as Ragsdale Ranch. Primary funding came from a U.S. Department of Agriculture "Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program" grant of $2 million to the HCC. The local matching dollars for this grant were provided by the City of Austin and a grant to the HCC from Advanced Micro Devices. This conservation easement will help protect the water quality and quantity, native pastures, and wildlife habitat on the Gibson/Ragsdale Ranch in perpetuity. Additionally, the original chimney, hand-dug well, and log cabin on the 1870s homestead site will be preserved to commemorate our regional heritage. The Gibson/Ragsdale Ranch lies along both sides of Onion Creek, a few miles southeast of Dripping Springs, and boasts beautiful views and significant water resources. This property is located in the contributing zone of the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer, with Onion Creek meandering through the center of the property. Rain falling on land in the contributing zone flows through creeks and streams and then ultimately provides "recharge" to Barton Springs Aquifer. More than 50,000 Hays County residents depend on clean, clear water from the aquifer for drinking and household uses.
Storm Ranch - This incredibly beautiful 5,685-acre historic ranch will be preserved forever as "open space" for the people of Texas. The Storm Ranch conservation project is one of the HCC's most important projects because of the size of the ranch; the extraordinary conservation values on the ranch; and the opportunity to collaborate with so many partners. The HCC and the Storm family agreed in 2000 that the HCC and its partners, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife, the City of Austin, the Lower Colorado River Authority, Houston Endowment, and private donors, would purchase the development rights, i.e., conservation easements, on the ranch at a "bargain sale price" in a series of phased closings. Phase I in July 2005 involved the purchase of development rights on 2,285 acres for approximately $4 million. Then in June 2008, the HCC closed on the purchase of a second conservation easement on 1,318, acres for almost $2.4 million. The Storm family continues to own and operate the land, which has been in their family for more than 50 years, as a working cattle ranch. They welcome youth groups to the ranch for guided tours, and scientists use the ranch as a field lab in which to conduct hydro geological studies and other research.
Ragland Ranch - In 2007, the HCC was awarded another U.S. Department of Agriculture "Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program" (FRPP) grant for $1 million. The HCC's local matching funds of approximately $500,000 was provided primarily by a contribution from Stratus Properties and Advance Micro Devices. In April 2009, the HCC, in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), used the federal funding and matching funds to purchase a conservation easement on the Ragland Ranch, part of the historic Joseph B. Rogers Ranch, west of Buda. This 291-acre working ranch is located partially in the Barton Springs recharge zone approximately three miles east of Driftwood in Hays County. The Rogers/Ragland family generously donated about $500,000 of development rights; that is, they are selling a conservation easement for the public good at a "bargain sale" price.
Dahlstrom Ranch - On February 4, 2010, in a landmark partnership involving the HCC, Hays County, the City of Austin, and the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the HCC purchased a conservation easement on the Dahlstrom family's 2,254-acre ranch a few miles west of Buda, Texas on FM 967 for $9.9 million, about half the appraised value of those development rights. The purchase was financed by a $4 million NCRS/FRPP grant, $4.9 million from Hays County, and $1 million from the City of Austin. The Dahlstrom family negotiated a long-term lease with Hays County on 384 acres of the ranch, i.e., "Howe Pasture," an area larger than Zilker Park, to create a nature preserve open to the public for hiking, picnicking, birding, and other nature-oriented outdoor learning experiences. The Dahlstrom Ranch lies along both sides of a mile of Onion Creek in the Barton Springs Recharge Zone. City of Austin and other scientists have tentatively determined that the recharge to the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer occurring on this ranch is more significant than on any other City of Austin water-quality land. The Barton Springs portion of the Edwards Aquifer provides drinking water to approximately 56,000 people in Hays County. In addition to the public access and water-quality benefits of this project, there are significant archeological and historical sites on the ranch that will be conserved in perpetuity under the terms of the conservation easement.
Brockenbrough Ranch - In August 2011, the Hill Country Conservancy, NRCS, and Travis County announced the permanent conservation of the 285-acre Brockenbrough Ranch. This property in Eastern Travis County, located along the Wilbarger Creek Watershed, had been used for agricultural purposes for the last 160 years. The completion of this project ensures the protection of the native wildlife habitat, scenic views, a significant quantity of high quality water to the Colorado River via Wilbarger Creek, and the agricultural heritage on this historic property.

"Violet Crown Trail " regional trail system - Strategic planning with a number of private corporations is underway for the development of a 30-mile regional trail system, previously known as "Walk for a Day." The Violet Crown Trail (VCT) would begin at the Barton Creek Greenbelt trailhead in Zilker Park and wind through southern Travis and northern Hays counties to the Onion Creek Natural Area along FM 150, west of Kyle. The HCC, the City of Austin, the City of Sunset Valley, Hays County, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and the Texas Department of Transportation are collaborating to "break ground" on a seven-mile segment of VCTin 2009. Funding will be provided through grants and gifts to the HCC from Texas Parks and Wildlife, the Real Estate Council of Austin, and many private and foundation partners. Bury+Partners has donated design and engineering services. ( The term "Violet Crown" comes from the purple glow - or crown - that appears over the hills to the west of the city at sunset. The City of Austin is referred to in early 20th century literature as the City of the Violet Crown. In November 2010, more than 500 citizens and Austin Officials selected the new name.)

On August 4, 2009, Congressman Lloyd Doggett announced that Congress has appropriated $300,000 to design and engineer the public trailhead entrances for Hill Country Conservancy’s Walk for a Day trail project. In addition, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) applied for $105,000 in federal stimulus funds to support a portion of the trail near U.S. Highway 290 and Brodie Lane.

On Saturday, September 25, 2010, Congressman Doggett announced an additional $650,000 in federal funding for the regional trail system.

The project has won broad political support because it provides a blend of recreational, conservation, educational, public health, and local small-business benefits to a large swath of Central Texas.

Borheim/Wenzel Rock Quarry - A partnership led by the HCC, which includes the 3M Corporation, the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District, Jones & Carter, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and the University of Texas, conducted a unique scientific study of this rock quarry, where operations ceased decades ago. Five years of research and data gathering have provided strong evidence that the rain and surface waters that collect in this quarry could contribute significantly to the quantity and quality of the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer by slowly "recharging" into the aquifer. This recharge enhancement project may ultimately involve the diversion of some of the storm water flow from Little Bear Creek into the quarry. The HCC is working with the City of Austin and the Lower Colorado River Authority to resolve water-rights issues before taking bids for the diversion channel. Also, this partnership has resulted in the successful restoration of wetlands in the 85-acre quarry tract.

Orr Tract - More than 200 acres of pristine, environmentally sensitive land along beautiful Onion Creek have been set aside and preserved in perpetuity in this HCC and City of Austin water-quality lands conservation partnership. One of the natural features of the Orr Tract is a major aquifer recharge feature located in the bed of Onion Creek known as "Cripple Crawfish Cave." In addition to protecting the conservation values of the Orr Tract, the HCC and the City of Austin have helped the landowner sustain a charming, secluded Hill Country bed and breakfast, The Inn Above Onion Creek, for the general public to enjoy.

© 2006-2010 Real Estate Council of Austin, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Back to Top

HILL COUNTRY CONSERVANCY
THE HILL COUNTRY CONSERVANCY (HCC) History A 1999 groundbreaking "peace treaty" between the Real Estate Council of Austin, the environmental community, and the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce forever changed the way those organizations do business with one another. In light of the tremendous growth that the Austin area experienced, all three organizations recognized the need to balance growth with the protection of precious natural resources of the Central Texas Hill Country that are, in part, why so many people locate here. As a result of their mutual desire to end the "scorched Earth" political tactics of the previous several decades, the organizations created and co-funded the Hill Country Conservancy (HCC) in January 2000. RECA made an initial contribution of $100,000 to HCC. In addition, RECA members are the other major contributors to HCC. The Hill Country Conservancy works to ensure a healthy environment and economy in the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer region by preserving natural areas, scenic vistas, rivers and streams, working farms and ranches, and the rural heritage of the Texas Hill Country for generations to come. HCC's mission is to marshal public and private resources to preserve the natural areas and scenic vistas, aquifers and springs, rivers and streams, working farms and ranches, and the rural heritage of the Central Texas Hill Country for people to enjoy and cherish for generations to come. HCC's goal is to conserve at least 50,000 acres of land focusing on scenic vistas, providing recreational opportunities, protecting water quality and quantity, and preserving the legacy of the Hill Country. This effort began with the simple desire to put differences aside for the good of the community in Austin. It is a best-case example of what can happen when people of different backgrounds and goals actually listen to one another with an open mind and decide to work together. The HCC Board, including several RECA Board members, represents a broad coalition of business people, professional conservationists, and landowners pursuing conservation strategies through fee simple acquisition, gifts, grants, capital campaigns, conservation easements, and many other methods. The HCC Board emphasizes utilizing funding mechanisms that avoid new fees, assessments, taxes, or other increases that could adversely affect business. The HCC Board hired George Cofer, a longtime Austin environmentalist, as its first Executive Director to oversee the effort to fulfill the Conservancy's mission. For more information, go to HCC's website. RECA Increases Pledge to HCC to $500,000 HCC's Fred Ellis, HCC President David Armbrust, 2005 RECA President Jim Knight and 2006 RECA President Terry Mitchell On March 8, 2006, RECA President Terry Mitchell presented HCC President David Armbrust with a contribution, representing the most significant investment made in RECA's history. RECA's Board approved a $400,000 pledge to be paid to HCC over the next 10 years for open space acquisition, a legacy for the residents of Central Texas. Together with RECA's previous donation of $100,000, RECA becomes the first of the HCC's founding organizations to pledge more than $500,000 to open space preservation in Central Texas. The $400,000 pledge is one of the largest in the HCC's history. RECA took a leading role in forming and funding the HCC. RECA's initial pledge to the HCC was a result of an historic partnership between RECA, the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, and the Save Our Springs Alliance. RECA honored its agreement by making five, annual contributions of $20,000 each. In addition to RECA's previous and current financial commitments, individual RECA members have also contributed to the HCC for open space acquisition funding and for the administration of the HCC. RECA is clearly leading with our checkbook, with the goal of encouraging other individuals and organizations to match the efforts of RECA and its members to provide private funding for additional open space acquisition. Status August 2011 Working with many other partners (USFWS, NRCS, Hays County, LCRA, the City of Austin, and the Nature Conservancy of Texas), the HCC has conserved more than 25,000 acres of land in the Barton Springs Aquifer region and broader Texas Hill Country since its inception in 1999 - a conservation achievement valued at more than $250 million. The goal is to conserve an additional 20,000 acres in the next ten years. The preservation of these "vast open spaces" has been accomplished with funding from voter-approved bonds, federal grants, private donations, and donated professional services. Separate studies published by Texas A&M University and the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce reached the same conclusion: that the region's economic growth and prosperity are inextricably tied to the preservation of its open space and other natural resources. The HCC works with numerous local, state, and federal agencies, private individuals, and corporations to craft cutting edge solutions to the complex challenges of preserving the economy and the environment. Some of HCC's accomplishments include: HCC/Nalle Bunny Run Wildlife Preserve on Lake Austin - Valuable wildlife habitat has been protected on the Bunny Run Wildlife Preserve (BRWP), which is located in close proximity to the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve. These 37 acres of wildlife habitat on Lake Austin were donated to the HCC in 2001 by the Nalle family, in remembrance of Anne Byrd Nalle. Habitat enhancement continues with grants from the Powell Foundation and REI that have provided support for ecological restoration "work days" involving the Boy Scouts of America, the Environmental Corps division of American YouthWorks, TreeFolks, and other volunteers. These generous contributions of time and money make it possible for the HCC to continue managing the preserve for the benefit of wildlife habitat, water quality improvement, and public enjoyment of the property. Autumn Woods - In December 2006, the HCC received a donated conservation easement on the "Autumn Woods" property that lies along Little Bear Creek just south of Austin near Brodie Lane and 1626. Thanks to a substantial contribution of development rights from Rocky and Kelly Romano and Robert McDonald, Autumn Woods will remain mostly undeveloped in perpetuity. This beautiful 132-acre property provides high quality recharge to the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer. Adjacent to other undeveloped land, including the City of Austin's Water Quality Protection Lands, Autumn Woods is a special place with abundant and diverse native vegetation and wildlife that characterizes the history and heritage of ranches in the aquifer region. The HCC's ecologically-focused management of Autumn Woods will help provide clean drinking water, healthy wildlife habitat, and scenic views. Gibson/Ragsdale Ranch - In May 2007, the HCC and the City of Austin joined forces to purchase a conservation easement on the historic 500-acre Gibson Homestead Ranch, now known as Ragsdale Ranch. Primary funding came from a U.S. Department of Agriculture "Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program" grant of $2 million to the HCC. The local matching dollars for this grant were provided by the City of Austin and a grant to the HCC from Advanced Micro Devices. This conservation easement will help protect the water quality and quantity, native pastures, and wildlife habitat on the Gibson/Ragsdale Ranch in perpetuity. Additionally, the original chimney, hand-dug well, and log cabin on the 1870s homestead site will be preserved to commemorate our regional heritage. The Gibson/Ragsdale Ranch lies along both sides of Onion Creek, a few miles southeast of Dripping Springs, and boasts beautiful views and significant water resources. This property is located in the contributing zone of the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer, with Onion Creek meandering through the center of the property. Rain falling on land in the contributing zone flows through creeks and streams and then ultimately provides "recharge" to Barton Springs Aquifer. More than 50,000 Hays County residents depend on clean, clear water from the aquifer for drinking and household uses. Storm Ranch - This incredibly beautiful 5,685-acre historic ranch will be preserved forever as "open space" for the people of Texas. The Storm Ranch conservation project is one of the HCC's most important projects because of the size of the ranch; the extraordinary conservation values on the ranch; and the opportunity to collaborate with so many partners. The HCC and the Storm family agreed in 2000 that the HCC and its partners, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife, the City of Austin, the Lower Colorado River Authority, Houston Endowment, and private donors, would purchase the development rights, i.e., conservation easements, on the ranch at a "bargain sale price" in a series of phased closings. Phase I in July 2005 involved the purchase of development rights on 2,285 acres for approximately $4 million. Then in June 2008, the HCC closed on the purchase of a second conservation easement on 1,318, acres for almost $2.4 million. The Storm family continues to own and operate the land, which has been in their family for more than 50 years, as a working cattle ranch. They welcome youth groups to the ranch for guided tours, and scientists use the ranch as a field lab in which to conduct hydro geological studies and other research. Ragland Ranch - In 2007, the HCC was awarded another U.S. Department of Agriculture "Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program" (FRPP) grant for $1 million. The HCC's local matching funds of approximately $500,000 was provided primarily by a contribution from Stratus Properties and Advance Micro Devices. In April 2009, the HCC, in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), used the federal funding and matching funds to purchase a conservation easement on the Ragland Ranch, part of the historic Joseph B. Rogers Ranch, west of Buda. This 291-acre working ranch is located partially in the Barton Springs recharge zone approximately three miles east of Driftwood in Hays County. The Rogers/Ragland family generously donated about $500,000 of development rights; that is, they are selling a conservation easement for the public good at a "bargain sale" price. Dahlstrom Ranch - On February 4, 2010, in a landmark partnership involving the HCC, Hays County, the City of Austin, and the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the HCC purchased a conservation easement on the Dahlstrom family's 2,254-acre ranch a few miles west of Buda, Texas on FM 967 for $9.9 million, about half the appraised value of those development rights. The purchase was financed by a $4 million NCRS/FRPP grant, $4.9 million from Hays County, and $1 million from the City of Austin. The Dahlstrom family negotiated a long-term lease with Hays County on 384 acres of the ranch, i.e., "Howe Pasture," an area larger than Zilker Park, to create a nature preserve open to the public for hiking, picnicking, birding, and other nature-oriented outdoor learning experiences. The Dahlstrom Ranch lies along both sides of a mile of Onion Creek in the Barton Springs Recharge Zone. City of Austin and other scientists have tentatively determined that the recharge to the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer occurring on this ranch is more significant than on any other City of Austin water-quality land. The Barton Springs portion of the Edwards Aquifer provides drinking water to approximately 56,000 people in Hays County. In addition to the public access and water-quality benefits of this project, there are significant archeological and historical sites on the ranch that will be conserved in perpetuity under the terms of the conservation easement. Brockenbrough Ranch - In August 2011, the Hill Country Conservancy, NRCS, and Travis County announced the permanent conservation of the 285-acre Brockenbrough Ranch. This property in Eastern Travis County, located along the Wilbarger Creek Watershed, had been used for agricultural purposes for the last 160 years. The completion of this project ensures the protection of the native wildlife habitat, scenic views, a significant quantity of high quality water to the Colorado River via Wilbarger Creek, and the agricultural heritage on this historic property. "Violet Crown Trail " regional trail system - Strategic planning with a number of private corporations is underway for the development of a 30-mile regional trail system, previously known as "Walk for a Day." The Violet Crown Trail (VCT) would begin at the Barton Creek Greenbelt trailhead in Zilker Park and wind through southern Travis and northern Hays counties to the Onion Creek Natural Area along FM 150, west of Kyle. The HCC, the City of Austin, the City of Sunset Valley, Hays County, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and the Texas Department of Transportation are collaborating to "break ground" on a seven-mile segment of VCTin 2009. Funding will be provided through grants and gifts to the HCC from Texas Parks and Wildlife, the Real Estate Council of Austin, and many private and foundation partners. Bury+Partners has donated design and engineering services. ( The term "Violet Crown" comes from the purple glow - or crown - that appears over the hills to the west of the city at sunset. The City of Austin is referred to in early 20th century literature as the City of the Violet Crown. In November 2010, more than 500 citizens and Austin Officials selected the new name.) On August 4, 2009, Congressman Lloyd Doggett announced that Congress has appropriated $300,000 to design and engineer the public trailhead entrances for Hill Country Conservancy’s Walk for a Day trail project. In addition, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) applied for $105,000 in federal stimulus funds to support a portion of the trail near U.S. Highway 290 and Brodie Lane. On Saturday, September 25, 2010, Congressman Doggett announced an additional $650,000 in federal funding for the regional trail system. The project has won broad political support because it provides a blend of recreational, conservation, educational, public health, and local small-business benefits to a large swath of Central Texas. Borheim/Wenzel Rock Quarry - A partnership led by the HCC, which includes the 3M Corporation, the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District, Jones & Carter, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and the University of Texas, conducted a unique scientific study of this rock quarry, where operations ceased decades ago. Five years of research and data gathering have provided strong evidence that the rain and surface waters that collect in this quarry could contribute significantly to the quantity and quality of the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer by slowly "recharging" into the aquifer. This recharge enhancement project may ultimately involve the diversion of some of the storm water flow from Little Bear Creek into the quarry. The HCC is working with the City of Austin and the Lower Colorado River Authority to resolve water-rights issues before taking bids for the diversion channel. Also, this partnership has resulted in the successful restoration of wetlands in the 85-acre quarry tract. Orr Tract - More than 200 acres of pristine, environmentally sensitive land along beautiful Onion Creek have been set aside and preserved in perpetuity in this HCC and City of Austin water-quality lands conservation partnership. One of the natural features of the Orr Tract is a major aquifer recharge feature located in the bed of Onion Creek known as "Cripple Crawfish Cave." In addition to protecting the conservation values of the Orr Tract, the HCC and the City of Austin have helped the landowner sustain a charming, secluded Hill Country bed and breakfast, The Inn Above Onion Creek, for the general public to enjoy.

© 2006-2010 Real Estate Council of Austin, Inc. All Rights Reserved.	Back to Top