Neighbors to the proposed 1400-acre Mirasol Springs development, located on the banks of the
Pedernales River and immediately across Hamilton Pool Road from Travis County’s Hamilton Pool Preserve and Reimers Ranch Park, joined with Austin area environmental activists today to speak out against the project’s plans to pump groundwater and river flows and to build a sewage treatment facility just above springs feeding the river. The neighbors and activists gathered on Hamilton Pool Road, outside the Mirasol Springs property, as the University of Texas hosted an awards luncheon honoring Mirasol Springs owners, the Steve Winn family of Dallas. The Winns have pledged $50 million to U.T.’s Biodiversity Center to support a reported $200 million plan to develop biological research field stations around the state. The Hill Country Field Station is set to be built on the Mirasol Springs property. University of Texas representatives and Steve Winn claim the Mirasol Springs project is dedicated to sustainable, ecologically responsible development. But the project’s permit applications to pump groundwater, divert river flows, and spread treated sewage just above the river tell a different story. As proposed, the Mirasol Springs project includes a resort hotel, 71 home sites, two restaurants, an irrigated farm, and the U.T. biological field station. To serve the development, the Winn’s have applied for groundwater pumping permits from both the Southwest Travis County Groundwater Conservation District and the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District. (The Mirasol Springs property straddles the Travis County/Hays County line.) Mirasol’s application to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to divert over 100-acre feet of Pedernales River flows every year has been pending at the TCEQ for over two years without a TCEQ staff recommendation. Austin’s legendary environmental singer/songwriter Bill Oliver serenaded the protesters with several rounds of his latest song, “Not Enough Water,” written for the campaign to protect the Pedernales River and local springs and water wells from the proposed Mirasol Springs project. Staff from both Groundwater Districts have recommended draft permits that scale back the Winn requests substantially. The Districts’ rules also require steep pumping reductions during drought conditions. Winn attorneys have refused to meet the Districts’ staff recommendations, including compliance with District drought protection rules that apply to all pumping permitholders. The Mirasol permit application to the Hays Trinity GCD is set for a preliminary hearing before an administrative law judge on June 11, 2024. Travis County has joined with neighbors and the Save Our Springs Alliance and Save the Pedernales in opposing the Mirasol Springs groundwater pumping permit applications. Travis County wants to be sure the Hamilton Pool spring flows are protected. Like the other protesting parties, the County also wants to assure that the Pedernales River and Reimers Ranch Park water flows and water quality are protected. The 1400-acre Mirasol Springs property surrounds the one-of-kind Roy Creek Canyon. Springs, pools, and waterfalls tumble down through the canyon, harboring the Pedernales River springs salamander and other rare species. Save Our Springs Alliance’s petition to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to list the salamander as endangered remains pending. U.T. biologists discovered the salamander and determined it is a distinct, new species, but have yet to publish a peer reviewed paper assigning a scientific name to the species. The endangered and extremely rare Texas Fatmucket freshwater mussel was recently confirmed in the Pedernales River adjacent to the Mirasol Springs property. A third endangered species, the Golden-cheeked warbler, is also known from the Mirasol Springs property, Roy Creek Canyon, and the Travis County parks. Ground water and surface water pumping, pollution, and development, along with our heating climate, threaten the survival of these species. Flows in the Pedernales River have plummeted in recent years. The river stopped flowing for an extended period in 2023. Springs, including those in Roy Creek Canyon, also stopped flowing or fell to a trickle. Area well levels have dropped or gone dry. With the recent drought, the Groundwater Conservation Districts have stopped processing applications for new pumping permits. “In another place, or even here some years back, neighbors and environmentalists would have supported the Mirasol Springs project,” said SOS Executive Director Bill Bunch. “But today, given the unique natural value and vulnerability of Roy Creek Canyon, Hamilton Pool, and the Pedernales River, there is simply not enough water to call the project sustainable or ecologically sound.” “The Winns deserve credit for their generous gift to U.T.. But I don’t understand why U.T. or the Winns would endanger the very things they say they want to protect,” said Lew Adams, one of the Roy Creek Canyon owners. “The science tells us the project is too much,” he added. Comments are closed.
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