Despite claims from City Staff that the bridge is beyond repair, experts have debunked these assertions, showing that only minor maintenance is needed, not the costly $40 million demolition and replacement proposed. Further, arguments that the bridge is unsafe for traffic or pedestrians are unsubstantiated, as recent safety improvements have been successful, and the bridge poses no significant danger. Restoring the existing bridge would support the historic fabric of Zilker Park, while avoiding the unnecessary environmental harms that come with ripping out the existing bridge and putting in a new one. 

​Here's how to speak out:
The Historic Landmark Commission will hear this case Wednesday, Feb 4 at 6:00 p.m. You can attend in person at City Hall, 301 W. 2nd St. The agenda and backup materials are available HERE.

• Register to speak in advance (remote OR in person) at this link
• Virtual/teleconference registration closes at 12:00 p.m. the day before the meeting, and in-person registration closes at 5:45 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Speakers must complete all required sections of the form, and enter Opposed to Item #8
• For questions, contact [email protected]

SAVE AUSTIN'S SOUL POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Post-Trial Update

Austin United PAC’s legal team, led by Save Our Springs Alliance public interest attorneys Bill Bunch and Bobby Levinski, laid out the law and evidence to support reversing the Austin City Clerk's rejection of AUPAC voter petition to call time out on the City's $5.6 billion, 32-year debt-financed convention center project and redirect public spending to support cultural and outdoor tourism that benefits visitors, locals, our creative economy, and our water and parks. If the petitioned ordinance advances and gets approved, these funds would be more equitably spent across the City--rather than just downtown. 

Judge Mangrum took the case under advisement. AUPAC has requested the Court to order the Austin City Clerk to certify the petition as valid in time for the Austin City Council to place the petitioned ordinance onto a special May 2026 ballot. 

Key points of the legal argument included:

1. The Clerk’s wrongful disqualification of ETJ and Limited Purpose District voters
2. The Clerk’s wrongful rejection of voters they were able to find on voter rolls based on technicalities 
3. The City's and City Clerk's extreme efforts to mislead the public and the court and to hide critical information from the public, AUPAC's attorneys, and the court.

The City Clerk, Erika Brady, was notably absent from the trial proceedings. Deputy City Clerk, Stephanie Hall, represented Clerk Brady. The Defendants’ legal team was led by Austin attorney Paul Trahan.

As always, we are grateful to the engaged citizens who continue to show up, speak out, and hold City Hall accountable. Your steadfast commitment to Central Texas, to the springs, culture, and protected wild spaces that define this region, remains our strongest defense against backroom deals and deregulation disguised as progress.

​In Solidarity,
SOS Alliance

Trial Set in Lawsuit to Validate Convention Center Petition

A trial date has been set in the lawsuit filed by Austin United PAC against the City of Austin for rejecting the “Save the Soul of Austin” petition, signed by ~25,000 residents of Austin, which would call a “timeout” on the Austin City Council’s rush to commit an estimated $5.6 billion, over 30 years, for a convention center project, without giving Austin voters a say in the matter. The petitioned ordinance would also prioritize City financial support for Austin’s local live music, arts, cultural, and environmental tourism sectors across the entire city.

After the PAC turned in the petition, the City Clerk disqualified over 1,600 signatures, many of which are actively registered voters and should have been counted. For example, the Clerk disqualified signatures for minor discrepancies in names and addresses, but these voters can be easily found on the City of Austin voter rolls. In disqualifying these signatures, the Clerk determined that the petition contained 19,506 valid signatures, short of the required 20,000-signature threshold. The lawsuit asserts that with those wrongfully disqualified signatures, the 20,000-signature threshold was met, and Austinites should be entitled to vote on it at the upcoming May 2026 election. The lawsuit also challenges the City’s violation of the Texas Public Information Act, in keeping secret the statistical sampling method used in preparing the sample used to evaluate the sufficiency of the petition.

The trial is set for January 26-27, starting at 9am each day. At this point, we do not know the court room assignment; however, it will be at the Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility, at 1700 Guadalupe St, Austin, Texas 78701. There are screens near the elevators that identify the case (D-1-GN-25-010865) and will list the court room.

Note: Because it will be a jury week, parking around the facility may be challenging. There are street parking and a parking garage across 17th Street.

District Drought UpdateAs we move into 2026, drought conditions in the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer are becoming increasingly severe. 2025 marked the fourth consecutive year of below-average rainfall, leaving Austin with a deficit of nearly 35 inches, which is roughly a year’s worth of rain. At last week’s BSEACD board meeting, staff for the district reported that without significant rain in the beginning of this year, the district will likely enter the most severe stage of drought, Stage 4 Emergency Response Period, by late March or early April.
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This scenario spells big trouble, not only to Barton Springs itself but also to the people, wildlife, and ecosystems that depend on clean, reliable groundwater in our region. Conserving water aggressively at home and in our communities, supporting policies that reduce impervious cover, fighting water and energy guzzling data centers, and advancing smart water management solutions are critical if we are to protect Barton Springs and sustain the aquifer. Here are some quick resources to put into action and share with your friends and family. 
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• Water Conservation for Indoor and Outdoor Usage
• City of Austin Water Rebate Programs
• BSEACD Water Tips

The growing need for people who care and who act is greater than ever. Your support helps keep our springs flowing, our creeks healthy, and the wildlife that depends on them thriving, while giving communities across Texas the tools to make a real difference.
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This New Year, make a gift to help Save Our Springs continue our fight to protect these waters and our city.

In Solidarity,
SOS Alliance

​In this Issue:  

• Polar Bear Splash Recap and Acknowledgements
  
• Second Chance Commemorative Tee Order
  
• Watch The Warbler and the Water Short Film

What an incredible turnout for New Year's Day!
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The 2026 SOS Polar Bear Splash was out of this world, and we were thrilled to see so many familiar faces (and MANY more new ones) in community at Barton Springs. An estimated 4,000 people moved through the park over the course of the morning, and participated in the community jump at 9:30am. That moment may go down as one of the greatest spectacles we have witnessed in recent springs' history. There was a shared charge in the air, the kind that makes a moment feel unforgettable. 

That’s always been the magic of this day. People from every background show up together, side by side, to start the year with courage and joy of the shared ritual of washing off the old year and welcoming the new. Multiple generations of family trudging in together, gaggles of friends, and plenty of solo dippers who show up brave and leave smiling. One of our favorite sights was a group of women who arrived dressed to the nines before taking the plunge.

A huge thank you to our hardworking volunteers that showed up for the mayhem on a national holiday! Thanks to Epoch and Barrett’s for donating more than 10 gallons of fresh coffee early that morning, powering up the thousands of sleepy-eyed people arriving for their New Year's tradition. This year, Flavor on Wheels food truck also rolled up with Korean-Mexican treats for the masses. We are so grateful for community partners who show up, literally before dawn, to make moments like this even better. Big thanks as well to Porkchop Screenprinting for printing our commemorative Polar Bear Splash shirts! 

Because of your support, we are fully energized to kick off the year strong. And we will need that energy. There are several critical fights ahead that require immediate attention, including the proposed MoPac South expansion over the Recharge Zone and a wave of massive water and energy guzzling data center developments targeting Central Texas.
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Thank you for starting the year with us in cool water, good company, and shared purpose. We’re grateful you’re here, and we’re ready for what’s ahead.

Onward Into 2026,

SOS Alliance