 Whether you made a gift this year, volunteered your time, raised your voice when we called for action, or have been standing with Save Our Springs from the beginning, you’re part of a community that shows up for Central Texas waters. At a time when our water, our public lands, and even our democratic institutions face unprecedented pressure, you choose to stay engaged, and that choice matters. Your support matters, too. Please consider including Save Our Springs Alliance in your end-of-year giving.  This year, in the face of relentless development pressure and our increasingly strained aquifer levels, your support delivered real, measurable protection for the Texas Hill Country. Here is some of what we accomplished together in 2025: Education at the Heart of Lasting Change
Advocacy That Lifts Community Voices
Legal Action That Protects Water, Wildlife, and People
Thanks to supporters like you, 2025 was one of the most ambitious years in SOS’s 33-year history. As 2025 comes to a close, an end-of-year, tax-deductible gift to Save Our Springs Alliance helps ensure we enter 2026 prepared to protect our home waters, precious wildlife, and access to direct democracy. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and Best Wishes for the New Year! We can’t wait to celebrate with you at the Polar Bear Splash on New Year’s Day at Barton Springs Pool :) With gratitude and hope for the year ahead, Save Our Springs Alliance   Speak Up Now to Defend the Endangered Species Act!
The federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) was passed in 1973 with broad bipartisan support to protect the ecosystems that endangered and threatened species depend on and to conserve these species. Despite surveys showing that nearly 84% of Americans continue to express support for the ESA, political plans to weaken the landmark environmental statute are underway by changing several of the rules that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) uses to implement the ESA by limiting protections for species listed in the future and infusing political bias into the agency’s processes. You have the power to stand with SOS and the endangered species we share our home with by submitting comments at the links below by 11PM on December 22nd and reminding the FWS that the ESA mandates that decisions be made on the “best scientific information,” not politics. Below are brief summaries of the proposed rule changes and instructions on how to comment for each one. Updated Regulation on Listing Species as Threatened Currently under the ESA, with a few exceptions, species that are listed as threatened rather than endangered automatically receive almost all of the same protections that endangered species do. Such an approach gives threatened species immediate and important protections that will hopefully allow their populations to recover. However, the proposed regulation seeks to make the exception the rule and under the new regulation, every newly listed threatened species would need the FWS to take additional action to set out any prohibitions designed to protect the species; threatened species will no longer automatically receive many of the same protections as endangered species, and under the new rule it would be up to FWS to decide what those protections would be. Unfortunately, these species specific rules are unlikely to be adequate, will leave threatened species unprotected from harassment and other forms of harm, and will take a long time to develop and finalize. This rule’s proposals related to threatened species could impact SOS’s work in getting new salamander species listed if the FWS decides to list the Pedernales River springs salamander or Lipan salamander as threatened instead of endangered. If that happened, it would no longer be a guarantee that the salamanders would quickly receive adequate protections. To comment on this rule and tell the FWS that threatened species need to be protected just as much as endangered species, go to this link and fill out the form. Updated Regulation for Designating Critical Habitat When listing a species as endangered, the FWS often designates critical habitat for a species (critical habitat is habitat areas that are especially important for conserving a species) and any area designated as critical habitat receives special protections under the ESA. While the FWS is allowed to take into account the economic and national security impacts of a critical habitat designation, the critical habitat designation is supposed to be based on the best available science and prioritize the conservation of species in line with the purpose of the ESA. But the new proposed critical habitat designation rule directs FWS to give more weight to the opinions of industry when deciding whether to exclude areas from a new critical habitat designation and encourages the FWS to rely on unreliable sources of information to find that the economic impact of a critical habitat designation outweighs the benefits. Since habitat loss is one of the main causes of extinction, regulations that limits or make habitat protection more difficult under the ESA are untenable. This rule could impact SOS’s work by making it more difficult to get a critical habitat designation for the salamander species that will be listed under the ESA in the future, like the Pedernales River springs salamander and the Lipan salamander. To comment on this rule and urge the FWS to keep politics out of endangered species conservation, go to this link and fill out the form. Updated Regulation on Unoccupied Critical Habitat This proposed rule will also impact how FWS designates critical habitat moving forward by directing the agency to no longer consider designating any currently unoccupied but historic range as critical habitat. This change represents a missed opportunity to protect historic habitat and give species a chance to recover during a time of rapid habitat loss. The proposed rule also invites the agency to make findings that the designation of critical habitat is not prudent on a more frequent basis, a move that leaves endangered species without important habitat protections. This same rule also makes changes to the regulations on listing and delisting species by proposing to limit the phrase “foreseeable future” as it is used in the definition of endangered and threatened species. This could limit how impacts like climate change and resultant shifting species distributions are taken into account when listing a species. The proposed rule also will remove the regulatory language prohibiting the consideration of economic impacts when deciding whether to list a species. To comment on this rule and remind the FWS that protecting habitat is key to protecting endangered species, go to this link and fill out the form. Updated Rules on Section 7 Consultations A key protection under the ESA happens under section 7 of the statute which requires federal agencies to consult with the FWS for any federal actions that may affect an endangered or threatened species to ensure that federal actions do not harm listed species or critical habitat. The proposed rule would limit which impacts are considered and how the impacts are considered during the course of a section 7 consultation. The changes would direct FWS to not consider many indirect, cumulative, or climate-driven effects from being considered. This change could impact SOS’s work by making it more difficult to get TXDOT, CTRMA, and the FWS to take impacts from highway expansion on the Bartons Springs and Austin Blind salamanders into account and provide adequate protections for the species. To comment on this rule and demand that FWS continue to take the impacts to endangered species from federal projects seriously, go to this link and fill out the form. Thank you for submitting comments on these important issues! Our voices matter and can help to ensure continued protections for endangered and threatened species. Please also consider donating to SOS to support our work protecting threatened and endangered species in the Texas Hill Country.  PBS 2024 photo by Carli Rene @inkedfingers Austin, TX — Start your New Year with a splash—and a celebration of clean water! Join Save Our Springs Alliance on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2026, at Barton Springs Pool for the annual SOS Polar Bear Splash, a cherished Austin tradition that has brought the community together for over 30 years. From 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., SOS staff and volunteers will greet guests at both the front gate near the Philosopher’s Rock and the back parking lot entrance. Don’t miss the community group jump at 9:30 a.m., the perfect way to wash off the old year and dive into 2026 with energy, fun, and purpose. For more than three decades, Save Our Springs Alliance has been at the forefront of protecting Barton Springs, the Edwards Aquifer, and Central Texas waterways. This iconic event is a joyous celebration of the community resilience, environmental stewardship, and clean water advocacy that SOS has championed since 1992. As Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea says, “SOS is the reason we can still swim in Barton Springs today.” Participants can warm up with coffee and donuts, grab a 2026 commemorative t-shirt, and connect with the people and programs that keep Austin’s waters safe. Special appearances will include Commissioner Brigid Shea at 10:00 a.m. and local artist and muralist Fabian Rey at 12:00 noon at the north gate.
Whether you’re a longtime supporter, a first-time jumper, or just looking for a unique way to kick off the year, the SOS Polar Bear Splash is the perfect way to celebrate Austin’s natural treasures and the people who protect them. Come make a splash, meet your community, learn how to get involved, and greet 2026 with Save Our Springs Alliance. Mark your calendar:
Part of what truly sets Save Our Springs apart —and what keeps Barton Springs flowing— is our stellar legal team. We are the only local nonprofit with full-time staff of attorneys dedicated to water quality. On a day built around radical generosity, it’s worth reflecting on what our community makes possible. Here are just a few examples of how SOS defends the aquifer and the public’s right to know: 
These are just a few of the numerous cases and projects that require painstaking expertise from our legal team. Often, it means returning to court again and again, making sure the laws voters passed are honored and the Springs remain protected.
If Barton Springs has touched your life, if you swim here, hike nearby, or simply care about access to clean water and accountable government, your Giving Tuesday gift matters. Give today. Keep the Springs flowing. Keep Austin leaders accountable. For the love of clean water, Save Our Springs Alliance Legal Team
Prior to going, I didn't know a ton about the ecosystem, but after (Barton Springs University) gaining a better understanding of what SOS does to protect Edwards Aquifer, I knew I wanted to get involved in any way that I could. With the knowledge I have gained from BSU and the experience of working for SOS I have decided to pursue a degree in Environmental Science so I will be able to continue working to protect the natural world. ” -- Fin Kirsch, former BSU attendee → SOS intern → Environmental Science major 
Your Giving Tuesday gift ensures we can bring even more students to Barton Springs next year, remove financial barriers for our struggling school districts, expand hands-on learning throughout the year, and empower the next generation of water protectors. Thank you for helping young people fall in love with and safeguard Central Texas for years to come. With gratitude, Save Our Springs Alliance 
Between now and December 31, your year-end gift will directly strengthen our ability to protect Central Texas waters by: > Mobilizing people for water, land, and community. From pushing for transparency and public participation to challenging harmful projects, we fight for the policies and practices that keep our waters safe. > Legally defending the springs and public process. Our legal team returns to court again and again to enforce the voter‑approved SOS Ordinance and open-government laws, upholding more than 30 years of protections for the Edwards Aquifer and Barton Springs. > Turning curiosity into lasting stewardship. We educate thousands of locals and visitors alike to understand our region's unique underground karst geology, how it feeds our springs, and why our collective action and conservation matter.  Thank you for standing with us, and for the springs. And thank you for believing that the natural heart of Austin is worth protecting, especially now.
With gratitude, Save Our Springs Alliance  Two weeks ago Austin voters rejected the City Council's Prop Q tax hike by a near 2-to-1 majority. As the Austin Free Press observed, the vote amounted to a "constituent revolt," revealing a major rift between Austin voters and the 10 council members who campaigned for the measure. (Only District 10 Councilmember Marc Duchen opposed.) In post-election messages, Mayor Watson and his 9 allies insisted they now "trust the voters," vowing to move promptly toward "transparency" and "fiscal accountability." Do you believe them?
If they really cared about any of these values, they would immediately (a) release all the convention center information they are keeping secret, (b) stop the project, and (c) put the 30-year, $5.6 billion convention center commitment on the ballot for voters to decide. Sadly, they are not likely to do this. By setting a hasty schedule to adopt an adjusted budget, with back-to-back meetings this week, the Mayor and Council show little interest in revisiting the biggest and most wasteful items in their budget. Nor is there any meaningful opportunity to hear and consider public input on a budget that reflects the council's "trust the voters," "transparency," and "fiscal accountability" pledge. The largest and most harmful expenditure in the City's budget is a new $5.6 billion convention center. And it's not just a waste in this year's budget but a 30-year anchor around the necks of Austin voters. Widely reported as a $1.6 billion project, that's just the projected but-not-final upfront construction cost: it excludes 30 years of interest payments to bond buyers (money exported from the city) and 30 years of annual operating losses in the tens of millions. The $5.6 billion "all in" cost estimate is in writing from the Austin Convention Center Department. So what about that wake-up call from election day? Here's where we are today on these three Council pledges. One -- "don't trust the voters -- the Mayor and council are refusing to let Austin voters vote on the $5.6 billion, 30-year commitment. This refusal led to an SOS-endorsed petition drive to force the 30 year project onto the ballot. Last Friday, the City doubled down on this refusal, claiming the petition filed by Austin United PAC was 400 votes short of the 20,000 voter signatures required by the City Charter to force an election on the issue. Two -- "secrecy is the new transparency" -- After first promising to provide the details of how they estimated the $5.6 billion 30-year costs and revenue requirements "as soon as possible," City Convention Center staff are now saying this essential information will be kept secret until 2027. And now, after promising to provide the details of the City Clerk's "random sample" count of 25% of the more than 25,000 voter signatures submitted "as quickly as possible," The City Attorney's office is claiming some of the information will be kept secret. Three -- "fiscal accountability" is like "affordability," the Mayor and Council's definition is very different from that of the voters and what you find in the dictionary. If you have seen The Magic Hole 19-minute documentary, you know that building a giant new convention center in 2025 for more than $5 billion is a worst case scenario of wasting public funds that rightfully belong to what we and visitors love and that we are losing -- live music, arts, local businesses, and "nature-in-the-city" parks and waters. Since Austin United PAC's petition team validated over 21,000 of the signatures before the petition was filed with the city, we do not accept the City Clerk's sample count as valid. It's a simple fact issue of whether there are, in fact, at least 20,000 signatures City of Austin voters. We will try to resolve the disagreement amicably, but will pursue legal action if necessary. IN THIS ISSUE: This THURSDAY - Don’t Let Item 43 Privatize Our Parks This FRIDAY - SOS Benefit @ Central Machine Works with Wild Child Wed, Nov 12 - Better MoPac Action Hour, SOS Headquarters, 6-8 pm Thank You to Our Generous BSU Sponsors!  Coming Up at Council: Don’t Let Item 43 Privatize Our ParksHeads up, Austin. Item 43 on this week’s City Council agenda could transform how concessions operate in our city parks, and not for the better. The proposed policy overhaul hands major decision-making power over concessions, including who gets to profit from selling food, renting kayaks, and more, to private non-profits through Park Operations and Maintenance Agreements (POMAs). Sounds harmless? Think again: these non-profits will directly benefit from the very concessions they approve. That’s a clear conflict of interest and a dangerous step away from transparent, public oversight of our shared green spaces. And it gets worse. The new policy creates a special “Legacy Concession” class for vendors who’ve held their spot for 20 years or more, allowing them to bypass the competitive bidding process that everyone else faces. Sure, some long-standing vendors have built great relationships with the community and have done good work. But shouldn’t every applicant—old or new—compete on a level playing field? Those community ties and a track record of service should absolutely count in the scoring rubric, not as a golden ticket to sidestep public competition and keep control of public parkland indefinitely. Our parks are for everyone, not just a privileged few with the right connections or a grandfathered contract. If approved, Item 43 risks entrenching special interests, reducing transparency, and undermining trust in how the City stewards public parkland. Want a park system that’s fair and open to all? Urge Council to demand real accountability: require all concessions, legacy or not, to compete under the same fair process—with public oversight, not backroom deals. Sign up to speak here.  MoPac Action Hour: It’s Time to MobilizeOur first MoPac Action Hour sparked something powerful, and now it’s time to activate. Join us for another MoPac Action Hour, where we’ll turn our shared passion and determination into organized action. When: Wednesday, November 12th, 6-8pm Where: SOS Headquarters, 3201 Menchaca Rd. Austin TX 78704 The Better MoPac Coalition is growing fast, uniting individuals, organizations, and businesses to demand smarter, more sustainable solutions for the MoPac South corridor. Together, we can stop the unnecessary sprawl and push for upgrades that actually improve safety, traffic flow, and PROTECT one of the most ecologically diverse corridors in the world. This session, we’ll break into focused small groups and tackle specific projects Why it matters: Expanding MoPac would pave over 8 miles of the Recharge Zone, destroying hundreds of trees, endangered species' habitat, filling caves, and allowing polluted water straight into Barton Springs, the soul of our city.  Wild Child @ CMW – Benefitting Save Our Springs! THIS Friday, November 7 | FREE SHOW Join us this Friday, November 7th for another awesome night of live music with Austin indie-pop favorites Wild Child, performing as part of CMW’s Next Stage Concert Series supporting local nonprofits. This free concert is a chance to connect with the community, celebrate Austin’s creative spirit, and raise awareness for Save Our Springs Alliance. Come early, grab a drink (special cocktails support the cause), snag a limited SOS t-shirt, and dance under the stars to the lush harmonies and heartfelt songs that made Wild Child local legends and fun for the whole family. Let’s come together to support local, live music, protect Barton Springs, the Edwards Aquifer, and everything that keeps Austin’s heart beating wild.  An extra special thank you to our GENEROUS SPONSORS (listed above). Their support is helping shape the next generation of local environmental stewards and change-makers. This year, we introduced 10 brand-new hands-on activities, from groundwater aquifer models that bring science to life, to community quilt making, clothing repair lessons, a mycelium-inspired capture-the-flag game, and tree planting right next to the springs! Thank you to all of our Presenters and Activity Partners; you all made a deep impression on this transformative day. SOS would like to give a shout-out to our keynote speaker, Charles “Chuck” Foster Jr., who captivated the crowd with personal storytelling and a powerful message about Gen Z leading the way in conservation and change.  photographs of BSU 2025 by Carli Rene @inkedfingers Stay tuned! We’ll be sharing more highlights from this very special day, and we already have big plans for 2026. In the meantime, we hope to see you at City Hall for the City Council meeting on Thursday or Central Machine Works for big fun with Wild Child on Friday!
With immense gratitude, SOS Alliance IN THIS ISSUE: |
 | Honoring Robert Redford: “The Unforeseen” at Alamo South Lamar! Join us NEXT Sunday afternoon (4:30 pm), October 26th, for a special Robert Redford tribute screening of The Unforeseen at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar. The film will be preceded by special cuts from a Robert Redford interview at Barton Springs, and then followed by a Q&A with Director Laura Dunn and SOS Executive Director Bill Bunch. Plan to socialize further afterward at the Highball. Please get your tickets here before they disappear. Spooky season is upon us, but the scariest threats to our community and environment are happening right now. Come out, connect with your neighbors, and stand together to protect what we love. We need your energy, your voice, and your passion. |
We hope to see you in the courthouse, at the rally, or at the movies!
SOS Alliance
SOS Alliance
A developer is seeking to dump treated municipal sewage into Onion Creek.
Join us at a TCEQ public meeting to oppose the permit on Monday, October 6th at 7pm at 1042 Event Center Drive, Dripping Springs, TX, 78620 and submit written comments here using permit no. WQ0016475001.
Issues with the Draft Permit for TPDES Permit No. WQ0016475001:
Allied Development, LLC, (an out of town developer who does not have an approved development plan, does not have an approved source of water for the development, and does not own the property for the development) has applied for new TPDES Permit No. WQ0016475001 (the draft permit) to discharge 45,000 gallons per day of treated municipal sewage into Onion Creek to serve the high-density development Madelynn Estates near Ranch Road 12 and FM 150. The draft permit has effluent limits of 5 mg/L CBOD, 5 mg/L TSS, 2 mg/L Ammonia Nitrogen, .15 mg/L TP, and 6 mg/L TN. The draft permit does not have any effluent limits for emerging contaminants of concern.
SOS is concerned that the draft permit will violate water quality standards by reducing dissolved oxygen in Onion Creek, causing fish kills, harming wildlife, causing metabolic and behavioral changes in wildlife, causing nuisance algal blooms, making recreation unsafe, and failing overall to maintain water quality.
Many of these water quality violations will be caused by the excess phosphorus and nitrogen, also known as nutrients, contained in wastewater. Algae and aquatic plants take up the nutrients as they grow, and the more they have, the more they grow. When the algae and aquatic plants grow too much, they can cause dissolved oxygen levels to plummet, cause fish kills, cause changes in the community of animals living in a stream, and make human recreation unpleasant and unsafe.
Pristine Hill Country streams, like Onion Creek, have naturally low levels of phosphorus and nitrogen; that is one of the reasons the water is so clean and clear. Even a little bit extra phosphorus and nitrogen can cause an overgrowth of algae and aquatic plants and other negative changes in the stream.
For the permit here, the total phosphorus limit in the draft permit is ten times higher than the limit estimated by U.S. EPA reports that is needed to protect Hill Country streams. And studies conducted by Dr. King and Dr. Back from Baylor University in Onion Creek show that the total phosphorus limit in the draft permit is too high and will likely cause harmful algae blooms. The same goes for total nitrogen.
In addition to nutrients in the wastewater, the wastewater discharge will contain emerging contaminants of concern. Emerging contaminants of concern include personal care products, pesticides, soaps, pharmaceuticals, PFAS/PFOA and other harmful chemicals. TCEQ has not analyzed the harms these contaminants will cause in Onion Creek even though these contaminants are harmful to Onion Creek and human health.
All of this pollution is particularly concerning because Onion Creek is an important recharge feature for the Edwards Aquifer and the Middle Trinity Aquifer. Nearby wells and downstream springs are at risk of contamination from pathogens, emerging contaminants of concern, and nitrates due to wastewater pollution.
We hope to see you at the public meeting to echo these concerns and to urge TCEQ to follow the Clean Water Act, deny the draft permit, and protect Onion Creek!
Join us at a TCEQ public meeting to oppose the permit on Monday, October 6th at 7pm at 1042 Event Center Drive, Dripping Springs, TX, 78620 and submit written comments here using permit no. WQ0016475001.
Issues with the Draft Permit for TPDES Permit No. WQ0016475001:
Allied Development, LLC, (an out of town developer who does not have an approved development plan, does not have an approved source of water for the development, and does not own the property for the development) has applied for new TPDES Permit No. WQ0016475001 (the draft permit) to discharge 45,000 gallons per day of treated municipal sewage into Onion Creek to serve the high-density development Madelynn Estates near Ranch Road 12 and FM 150. The draft permit has effluent limits of 5 mg/L CBOD, 5 mg/L TSS, 2 mg/L Ammonia Nitrogen, .15 mg/L TP, and 6 mg/L TN. The draft permit does not have any effluent limits for emerging contaminants of concern.
SOS is concerned that the draft permit will violate water quality standards by reducing dissolved oxygen in Onion Creek, causing fish kills, harming wildlife, causing metabolic and behavioral changes in wildlife, causing nuisance algal blooms, making recreation unsafe, and failing overall to maintain water quality.
Many of these water quality violations will be caused by the excess phosphorus and nitrogen, also known as nutrients, contained in wastewater. Algae and aquatic plants take up the nutrients as they grow, and the more they have, the more they grow. When the algae and aquatic plants grow too much, they can cause dissolved oxygen levels to plummet, cause fish kills, cause changes in the community of animals living in a stream, and make human recreation unpleasant and unsafe.
Pristine Hill Country streams, like Onion Creek, have naturally low levels of phosphorus and nitrogen; that is one of the reasons the water is so clean and clear. Even a little bit extra phosphorus and nitrogen can cause an overgrowth of algae and aquatic plants and other negative changes in the stream.
For the permit here, the total phosphorus limit in the draft permit is ten times higher than the limit estimated by U.S. EPA reports that is needed to protect Hill Country streams. And studies conducted by Dr. King and Dr. Back from Baylor University in Onion Creek show that the total phosphorus limit in the draft permit is too high and will likely cause harmful algae blooms. The same goes for total nitrogen.
In addition to nutrients in the wastewater, the wastewater discharge will contain emerging contaminants of concern. Emerging contaminants of concern include personal care products, pesticides, soaps, pharmaceuticals, PFAS/PFOA and other harmful chemicals. TCEQ has not analyzed the harms these contaminants will cause in Onion Creek even though these contaminants are harmful to Onion Creek and human health.
All of this pollution is particularly concerning because Onion Creek is an important recharge feature for the Edwards Aquifer and the Middle Trinity Aquifer. Nearby wells and downstream springs are at risk of contamination from pathogens, emerging contaminants of concern, and nitrates due to wastewater pollution.
We hope to see you at the public meeting to echo these concerns and to urge TCEQ to follow the Clean Water Act, deny the draft permit, and protect Onion Creek!
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