Key Issues and Trends:
Key Challenges for the Future
• The Colorado River provides the
• Protecting Austin’s watersheds, waterways, and water supply within Central Texas, one
majority of Austin’s water supply. The City has contracts to meet demand at least through 2050. • The Edwards Aquifer, one of the most important and sensitive aquifers in Texas, feeds a number of springs in Austin, including Barton Springs and its pool. The aquifer underlies approximately 42 percent of the city’s land area. • Austin has a Drinking Water Protection Zone regulation for watersheds that drain to Lake Travis, Lake Austin, Lady Bird Lake, and Barton Springs. • Central Texas is in compliance with all federal air quality standards. However, the region is in danger of exceeding ground-level ozone due to stricter federal standards. • Farmland in Travis County decreased by 12 percent between
of the fastest growing regions in the country. • Reducing the impact of development in environmentally sensitive watershed areas, particularly in areas affecting Barton Springs and the Edwards Aquifer. • Improving regional planning and coordination to provide adequate water-related infrastructure and protect environmentally sensitive areas. • Reducing the impact of development on creeks and water courses, mostly east of Interstate 35, prone to erosion and characterized by large floodplains. • Monitoring and increasing Austin’s tree canopy as urbanization occurs. • Slowing the rate of farmland loss and protecting valuable agricultural land from development. • Balancing growth and protection of our natural resources to create a future that is sustainable. • Preserving land with sensitive environmental features and plant and animal habitats from development.
2002 and 2007 due to urbanization and farmland being taken out of production. • In 2006, Austin’s tree canopy cover was estimated at 30 percent of its total land area. • The City is engaged in several programs to preserve sensitive lands, including purchasing land for water quality protection. • In 2007, the City passed the Austin Climate Protection Plan resolution, committing the City of Austin to national leadership in the fight against global warming. • Regional cooperation is needed to more completely implement climate change solutions.
Drought conditions
136 | Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan
PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED DRAFT - APRIL 2012