Water Quality Protection Lands
Austin Water manages more than 34,000 acres of land protecting the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer.
The Austin area sits above the Edwards Aquifer, one of the most productive aquifers in the country and a primary source of drinking water for the region. Because the aquifer moves water through porous limestone, it is vulnerable to pollution from surface activities.
In 1998, Austin voters approved funding to purchase land and conservation easements to protect water quality and quantity in the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer, creating the Water Quality Protection Lands (WQPL) program. The Barton Springs segment collects and carries water from just north of Kyle to its major discharge point at Barton Springs in the heart of Austin. Voters have continued to support the program through several additional bonds. The WQPL now includes more than 34,000 acres of conservation lands.
Managing Land for Water
Austin Water manages the Water Quality Protection Lands to protect the quality and quantity of water entering the Barton Springs segment. Most of the lands are being restored to or maintained as native grassland savannas.
To restore these ecosystems and benefit groundwater resources, we use prescribed fire, mechanical brush removal and the seeding and planting of native grasses and wildflowers. These techniques mimic the natural processes, including wildfire and intense herbivory, that maintained these areas as savanna for thousands of years before European colonization. This management also benefits pollinators, grassland birds and other species that depend on the grassland savanna ecosystem.
Austin Water notifies neighbors and the public before each prescribed burn. Sign up to receive burn notifications by email at bit.ly/rxburnnotification.
Get Involved
The Water Quality Protection Lands offer recreation and education opportunities through public trails, guided hikes and volunteer activities.