Austin Watershed Protection | City of Austin

Welcome to Austin Watershed Protection

Austin Watershed Protection protects lives, property and the environment of our community by reducing the impact of flooding, erosion and water pollution. Originally called the Drainage Utility, Austin Watershed Protection was established in 1996 to manage the City’s creeks, drainage systems and water quality programs.

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About Austin Watershed Protection

Featured Programs and Projects

Flood Safety Video Contest

Create a short video that shares the life-saving message "Turn Around - Don’t Drown®" when roads are flooded. This contest is open to all 6th through 12th grade students in Austin and the surrounding area. Submissions are due March 25, 2026. Learn more about the video contest.

Hydrilla in Lake Austin

Join us for a virtual public meeting about Lake Austin at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 23. Register in advance or join the meeting.

We are also creating a Lake Austin Stakeholder Group to provide community-informed input on managing Lake Austin. We are currently reviewing applications and plan to have the first meeting in April.

There has been a spike in the extent of hydrilla in Lake Austin since June 2025. Hydrilla is a nonnative, invasive plant. In February, it was covering approximately 592 acres, up from 456 acres in September.

When considering hydrilla, please keep in mind:

Aquatic vegetation, including hydrilla, can benefit fish and water quality
Hydrilla can grow so fast that it becomes a problem for the environment and our community.
Managing hydrilla is a complicated balancing act that takes time.

Learn more about hydrilla and plants in Austin's Lakes or sign up to receive email updates about Lake Austin.

Floodplain Remapping

The City of Austin, Travis County and other Central Texas communities are updating floodplain maps in the region based on the Atlas 14 study. Our current floodplain maps show where flooding is likely to occur with 10.2 inches of rainfall in 24 hours. The updated maps will reflect flooding from almost 13 inches of rain in some areas. This amount of rainfall has a one percent chance of occurring in any given year (the 100-year storm). Find out more about floodplain remapping efforts at ATXFloodplains.com.

Rain to River

Rain to River is a strategic plan that will guide the work of Austin Watershed Protection for the next 10 years. We will use this plan to set goals, prioritize our work, and guide our decision making to tackle urgent challenges such as climate change and racial inequities. The plan will update and replace the current Watershed Protection Strategic Plan. Learn more about Rain to River.

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