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IN THIS ISSUE: Austin Budget and Our Water. SIGN UP TODAY Data Center Town Hall August 17th August Snorkel Tours with Special Guides  Speak Up On Austin City BudgetThis Thursday, July 31 at 3:00 p.m., the Austin City Council will take public testimony on the City Manager's proposed Fiscal Year 2026 $6.3 billion budget. You may sign up to speak here in person or by call-in here until noon Wednesday, July 30 and SIGN UP FOR ITEM #3. The Council will vote on the budget August 13th. While the details are endless, and we are still looking at the details, we encourage our fellow water, land, and democracy defenders to speak up this Thursday against wasteful and harmful spending on "discretionary concrete" -- big construction projects we don't need, do real harm, and/or that can and should be postponed. At the top of the list of projects to be scrapped or postponed are:
 Join Us August 17 in San Marcos for a Data Center Town Hall The last Community Information Session brought together more than 50 concerned residents at the San Marcos Public Library and the message was clear: Central Texas is at a crossroads to protect our water once again. A growing number of industrial-scale data centers are being proposed across our region, quietly pushing forward under the radar of most regulations. These massive AI and cloud-storage facilities run 24/7 and rely on enormous amounts of both energy and water to cool their servers. Some use up to 4.5 million gallons of water per day which is more than 10 times the daily use of the average household neighborhood. For a deeper look at how Texas became ground zero for AI-fueled data center expansion, check out this recent Austin Chronicle feature by Sammie Seamon. Despite the recent devastating flood events, our region is still in the midst of an unprecedented, 7-year drought that continues to push the Edwards Aquifer to record lows. Amid these dangerous conditions, there are currently no statewide regulations in place to limit how much groundwater data centers can pump or waste.  Saturday, August 17 from 2–5 PM at the San Marcos Public Library We’ll hear from a panel of scientists, water experts, and community advocates about the risks associated with these water guzzling operations, as well as what we can do to fight them. Whether you're just learning about the issue or already engaged, this is a critical opportunity to get informed, ask questions, and organize alongside neighbors. If you believe our water should serve people and ecosystems, not unregulated server farms this is your moment to get involved. Follow @DataCenterActionCoalition for updates, tools, and upcoming actions. Together, we can demand smart development, stronger protections, and a water-secure future for Central Texas.  Join us for a guided snorkel tour at Barton Springs and experience the magic of Austin’s most iconic swimming hole. You’ll explore beneath the surface of our home waters fed by the Edwards Aquifer, learn to spot native fish, and hear the deep-time story of the Springs, all while cooling off in 70-degree water. Whether you're a first-timer or a lifelong springs lover, this adventure is not to be missed. Below are some of our upcoming tour dates and guest guides!
 Saturday, August 23rd 8-11am Mariana Krueger, Executive Director, Austin Bat Cave & City Commissioner. Mariana Krueger is a native of the Texas Hill Country currently serving as the Executive Director of Austin Bat Cave, a 501-c3 that promotes greater equity and accessibility in education through free and affordable creative programming to Central Texas public school students. Prior to that, she spent fifteen years working in global health research, education, community organizing, and nonprofit and political campaign management. She is also an award-winning photographer, storyteller, and media producer whose work has been published by National Geographic and has been on exhibit at the Elisabet Ney Museum and UT Moody School of Communications. She attended Duke University for undergraduate and graduate school, where she earned a B.A. in Biological Anthropology and Anatomy, and an M.S. in Global Health. Mariana is the Vice Chair for the City of Austin's Environmental Commission, and also proudly serves on the City's Commissions for Human Rights and LGBTQIA+ Quality of Life. She is a Democratic Precinct Chair in East Austin, a longtime volunteer at the Festival Beach Food Forest, and an ardent lover of public lands and natural spaces at home and around the world.  Sunday, August 24th 8-11am Emma Walsh, Development Manager, Austin Youth River Watch. Emma Walsh (she/her) is the Development Manager at Austin Youth River Watch, where she’s spent the past seven years working to make environmental education, youth development, and outdoor adventure accessible to the next generation of environmental leaders. At River Watch, Emma helps develop multi-year after-school and summer programs where high school students learn to test water quality, restore local creeks, and explore the outdoors. As a proud Texan and lifelong lover of rivers and springs, Emma is passionate about ensuring that all young people have the opportunity to connect with and care for their local environment. With city budget decisions underway and data centers eyeing Central Texas, this is a critical time to speak up (and show up!) for our water.
Donate today to power grassroots advocacy, watchdog legal work, and community education efforts that protect our springs, aquifers, and the people who depend on them. With gratitude and determination, SOS Alliance IN THIS ISSUE: City Council Items to Speak On This Thursday. SIGN UP TODAY
 “JAWDROPPINGLY STUPID” -- That’s how the usually restrained and academic national expert on the convention center industry, U.T. - San Antonio Professor Emeritus Heywood Sanders, describes Austin’s new convention center project in the The Magic Hole. Austin Free Press’s 19 minute The Magic Hole documentary featuring Professor Sanders is linked above at the Austin United PAC’s Save the Soul of Austin citizen petition drive webpage. This update and plea to join with us and speak up at this Thursdays’ July 24th City Council meeting is a bit on the long side. Please stay with it; multi-billion dollar commitments that will shape the future of our city forever are on the table. The Magic Hole documentary was shot back in January when the budget for the convention center was “only” $3 billion and counting. City Staff subsequently projected in writing $5.6 billion in revenue requirements for the 30 year debt financing period. The petition drive aims to force a citywide vote on the project—as required by the City Charter—though Council argues that, under state law, voter approval is optional. This Thursday, and in the weeks ahead our esteemed Mayor and City Council are set to dig that Magic Hole a few tens of millions of dollars deeper. We ask and invite our friends who love Austin arts, culture and parks, and/or care about Austin fiscal and voter accountability, to sign up to speak at this Thursdays, July 24th, City Council meeting. The meeting, and public comment, starts at 10:00 a.m. but join us for a press statement at 9:30 in front of City Hall. See further details below on individual items to speak (or donate time) on. Please also speak to our City Council this Thursday, in person or by call-in, not just on the convention center agenda items, but also on the following items concerning the future of Lady Bird Lake and on ill-advised floodplain variances. Sign up to speak here, before noon on Wednesday. And keep reading to learn more about the convention center project we do support!  Architectural Illustration by Stefanie Bower (austintexas.gov) Item 121 – A proposed, rather mushy resolution giving vague guidance to the City Manager when evaluating proposed PUD zoning applications for development in the South Central Waterfront District. While the resolution references prioritizing “environmental features” that protect the riparian zones of Lady Bird Lake and East Bouldin Creek, the majority of the Council has voted repeatedly to exempt or reduce PUD compliance with our watershed and shoreline protection ordinances. Please join us in urging no more PUDs in the South Central Waterfront and “zero tolerance” for variances, waivers or exemptions from the Waterfront Overlay Ordinance all the way around Lady Bird Lake, with or without PUD zoning. Items 130 and 131 – Highlighted in last week’s SOS News, these items propose variances to allow residential development below the floodplain, setting a dangerous and shortsighted precedent. Join us in urging a “no” vote on these items.  Item 87 - Calls for adding $25 million to the previous $30 million contract for project management of the new convention center project. The minimal supporting information tells us that part of this 85% increase is to “procure Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments for … the Austin Convention Center.” Seriously?? Anyone who cares about environmental protection knows that environmental studies should come first—they're meant to guide smarter project choices and better design from the start. Since 1970 the National Environmental Policy Act has required Environmental Impact Statements be completed well in advance of any major project funded or approved by the federal government. The EIS process also requires rigorous transparency and public engagement. The goal is not just making better decisions for the environment, but also for saving money and evaluating better alternatives. But since the City Council’s rush to commit over $5 billion of our local tax dollars over the next 30 years to the convention center project does not include federal funding and may not require federal permitting, no such EIS has been prepared. The Council long ago initiated the demolition of the existing convention center and funded design and engineering for the giant new convention center. And it's just now taking action to approve an “environmental site assessment”? Did we say “jawdroppingly stupid” yet? Please join us in urging the City Council to stop spending on this $5 billion boondoggle until after the public vote required by the Save the Soul of Austin petitioned ordinance takes place. Just wait, it gets even wackier!! Item 96 is a convention center project we support! Yes, you read that right. It calls for Austin taxpayers to kick in a little bit of money and some legal gymnastics to help the Circuit of the Americas build a 460,000 square foot convention center out at the F1 race track and entertainment complex. This is a great, minimal-cost-to-taxpayers substitute for the $5 billion and counting downtown convention center. And it's consistent with many new convention centers around the country that are being built by the private sector with only limited public subsidies. Just last month, the privately owned Gaylord Pacific project opened 10 miles from downtown San Diego, on the Pacific Ocean. This $1.35 billion project features a 480,000 sq. foot convention center and resort hotel. Public funds pitched in $275 million of the $1.35 billion cost -- Not $5 billion of public funds. And that price tag covered both the 1600 room hotel and the convention center. So think about it: Where would you choose for your convention: On the beach in San Diego? At a resort hotel and entertainment district at COTA? Or in a giant hole under downtown Austin? This convention center proposal for the COTA project is a ready substitute for a downtown convention center. The city staff memo insists, with no documentation, that the COTA convention center will not compete with the downtown convention center because “each facility has separate and distinct target markets.” The simple truth is there’s just one convention center industry and it is shrinking while the supply keeps growing. The $5 billion over the next 30 years rightfully belongs to what makes Austin a place worth visiting and worth living in: arts, parks, live music, and thriving local small businesses. Also, Item 132 calls for up to $5 million in the upcoming year of Tourism Public Improvement District funding for marketing and subsidizing convention center events -- including paying the “rent” for the convention center’s “rentable space” because none of the convention center groups actually pay rent for conventions any more. And Item 129 calls for approving a site plan for the giant convention center project. Yet no site plan is included for review and approval – only a few engineering sheets showing the overview of the project. A few dozen pages in the back-up provide a second round of staff comments on a large range of site plan issues. While many of these staff comments and objections are labelled “cleared,” the actual text states over and over that the issues are not really cleared and that serious issues, including flood plain, stormwater, pedestrian access, and utility issues have not been resolved. Please join us in urging a “no” vote for all of the convention center items other than Item 96. The signup window is short—please register to speak before noon TOMORROW, Wednesday, July 23. Invite your friends, neighbors, and anyone who cares about Austin’s future. Let’s pack the room (and the call-in list) and show the City Council what a true Austin convention of concerned citizens looks like. See you Thursday. Let’s make some noise!  SOS Snorkel Tour Dates for August Join us for a guided snorkel tour at Barton Springs and experience the magic of Austin’s most iconic swimming hole. You’ll explore beneath the surface of our home waters fed by the Edwards Aquifer, learn to spot native fish, and hear the deep-time story of the Springs, all while cooling off in 70-degree water. Whether you're a first-timer or a lifelong springs lover, this adventure is not to be missed. Here's some of our upcoming tour dates and guest guides:
 Even with recent rains, Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District remains in severe drought, and spring flows have dropped back down to 18 cfs (median is 67 cfs).
People often ask us: “How long will the Springs keep flowing?” The honest answer is: that depends all of us. Save Our Springs' tireless efforts encompass legal action to defend the Edwards Aquifer watershed, policy advocacy, and community education programs like our snorkel tours. Everything we do is aimed at protecting the waters, lands, and wildlife that make Central Texas so unique. Please make a donation today to support this critical work. Your gift helps defend the waters that define Austin. In Solidarity, SOS Alliance We need Council to prioritize parks, the lake, and affordable housing!  The South Central Waterfront District is just to the south of Lady Bird Lake from Downtown Austin, near South First and Congress Avenue. This area stands at a crossroads, and we need your help to get the City of Austin back on the correct path. The South Central Waterfront Vision Framework Plan (“Vision Plan”), approved in 2016, set forth a bold vision: a vibrant, inclusive neighborhood with interconnected public spaces, significant parkland, and at least 20% of all new housing units reserved as income-restricted, affordable homes.
Yet, there is still no regulating plan for the area. In the meantime, developers have been rushing to get approvals for “Planned Unit Development” zoning to pre-empt the regulating plan. The current approach to PUDs in this area is undermining these goals and threatening the very character of Lady Bird Lake as a natural oasis in the heart of Austin. There’s a resolution on the July 24, 2025, Austin City Council agenda (Item #121), to discuss what to do about these PUDs. But, as drafted, the resolution doesn’t really solve the problem. We need your help to speak up to demand an end to bypassing the community’s vision. Despite the clear mandate for affordable housing, none of the PUDs approved in the South-Central Waterfront District to date have required the creation of on-site affordable housing. Instead, developers have been granted waivers from the requirements of the PUD zoning code, allowing them to build higher and denser projects without providing the affordable homes our community desperately needs. The resolution currently under consideration continues to allow fee-in-lieu payments and continued waivers to the requirements, rather than mandating on-site affordable housing. Likewise, these PUDs are encroaching upon the setbacks established by the Waterfront Overlay. These setbacks are essential for maintaining public access and views of Lady Bird Lake and for protecting the riparian areas and dense tree canopies that line its shores. These riparian areas help provide natural filtering of pollution and sediment of stormwater runoff before it hits the lake. They also help stabilize the shoreline, provide habitat for urban wildlife, and ensure the ecological health of the entire lake. When these setbacks are compromised, we risk losing the natural beauty and environmental benefits that make Lady Bird Lake one of Austin’s most cherishes resources. The current resolution fails to restore or enforce these setbacks, and it does not require developers to comply with a regulating plan that would guarantee the creation of new parkland and the delivery of affordable housing as envisioned in the Vision Plan. Now is the time for action. We urge you to write to the Austin City Council and demand that they:
Write to City Council and demand real action—restore the setbacks, enforce the vision, and protect Lady Bird Lake! [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] SOS Outreach Coordinator and snorkel tour guide Lindsey Holmes reports from the field   Report from Spring Ecotours on the Greenbelt: So far, despite the increased challenges from drought and low rainfall for 2025, it has been an incredibly rewarding snorkel tour season. Even though the USGS data for Barton Creek showed the water levels slowly declining due to lack of spring rainfall, there were plenty of weeks where the water remained lovely and swimmable (for a short time, at least), specifically in the Barton Creek Wilderness Park area. A big goal I had as a SOS guide was to get an entire group of people to lay down in a Barton Creek waterfall with me (I had been crawling through these falls over winter and really embraced this practice). I am happy to say this was achieved on one of our very first events, one which was held in honor of International Women’s Day. Stay tuned to SOS for future snorkel tours of the Greenbelt either later this fall (fingers crossed!) or next spring.
However, the history of the springs goes back much further than that, thousands of years further. Participants on these tours find themselves in one of the best classrooms in the world for understanding deep Texas history, karst aquifer systems and hill country flora and fauna. SOS snorkel tours are designed to give participants an up close and personal view of a living, breathing hill country spring.
In addition to culture and history, snorkel tour participants also get a crash course in aquifer science as it specifically relates to the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer. Of course, no SOS snorkel tour would be complete without the story of the Barton Springs Uprising: the all-night city council meeting that jump started the SOS movement and ultimately led to the passage of the SOS water protection ordinances of 1992 that are still on the books today.
Underwater VIPS: Fish, Salamanders and Subject Matter Experts A unique aspect of each snorkel tour is our partnership with subject matter experts outside of SOS that join us as a special guest guide for each tour. In the past, we’ve had hydrogeologists, wildlife biologists, salamander experts, master naturalists, water technology consultants, local authors, activists and educators join our tours as special guests. Speaking of salamanders, a common question on snorkel tours is “Will I get to see a salamander?!” Sadly, no, Barton Springs Salamanders are very small, hidden under rocks and are federally protected because they are endangered. However we have plenty of information and pictures to share with you about these amazing little creatures! The in-water portion of a snorkel tour is anywhere from 25-45 minutes (depending on the group and personal preferences). SOS provides snorkels, masks, and even a few spare goggles if that’s your jam, so all you have to do is show up in clothes you don’t mind getting wet. Barton Springs is a vibrant, dynamic underwater community and there are LOTS of fish (and turtles!) to see. We have high quality visual aids to help you identify fish as you see them in the water. SOS guides are also well-practiced in fish ID and are with you in the water the whole time, helping you spot and identify plants, animals and underwater features! Some of the amazing species of fish you are bound to encounter in Barton Springs are largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and Guadalupe bass. Guadalupe bass are the state fish of Texas and they have gorgeous spotted markings alongside their body. I like to tell people this fish is just a bass who decided to wear a leopard print outfit! The markings are so striking. Guadalupe bass are confident and feisty, known to be proactive nest protectors (not too dissimilar to your average Texan). Another common fish species is Texas sunfish, which come in many variations and all colors of the rainbow. Both sunfish and bass prefer clear, flowing waters with lower turbidity (murkiness) as this allows them to mate, breed and navigate their world successfully. Another beautiful, if slightly more mysterious fish species, is the Rio Grand Cichlid or Texas Cichlid, which tends to be more of a wallflower at the bottom of the pool. However, don't sleep on our Texas cichlids! Patient and observant snorkelers are rewarded with a glimpse of the shy cichlid’s spectacular outfit: a dark background overlaid with miniature white specks, resembling a sky full of stars on a clear Texas night. All three of these fish are endemic to central Texas, however they do not always share the same waters, another reason Barton Springs is a very special place to snorkel.  My absolute favorite thing in the world about my job as a snorkel tour guide is seeing families, friends or solo tour participants find their own unique groove in the water. The post-snorkel chats are always pretty good too! So, If you are considering signing up for a snorkel tour but are feeling hesitant, just know that many of our snorkel tour participants have zero snorkeling experience or have never snorkeled in Barton Springs Pool before. At least a few in each tour have never been to the pool before! We adapt our events to all swimming abilities and comfort levels in the water. Your first step as water steward should be one that helps forge a bond with the water as you explore and tap into your inner child, and feel the freedom that clear water affords. We want to see you at the pool with us soon, sign up today!
Yours In Adventure, Lindsey Holmes  Last week, we received disappointing news on the lawsuit SOS brought against the City of Austin’s approval of the Statesman PUD, for violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act and Austin City Charter. The judge ruled against our motion for summary judgment and in favor of the motions submitted by the City of Austin and the intervening party, a company affiliated with developer Endeavor Real Estate Group. While we are understandably disappointed with this outcome, we are actively evaluating our options. The outcome of this case may well decide the future protections, or lack thereof, for Lady Bird Lake from over-development along its south side. It will also impact the extent to which the community will maintain public access to the tree-lined canopies of the Hike and Bike Trail. This case may determine whether the community has the right to full disclosure regarding actions taken in a proposed Planned Unit Development, including non-zoning matters such as the relocation of the Hike and Bike Trail, waivers of environmental regulations, and modifications to the shoreline. We also raised a claim that the City Council restricted speakers to a total of one minute for all zoning items, which translates to less than 20 seconds per item related to the Statesman PUD. This speaker limit is inherently unreasonable and contradicts the Texas Open Meetings Act. Given the significance of this case for government transparency and the fundamental right to participate, we are currently assessing our options for appeal.  After a long fight against ill-advised plans to dispose of wastewater via irrigation on a site that funnels into Roy Creek Canyon and the Pedernales River, Save Our Springs Alliance and neighbors of the Mirasol Springs development reached a settlement agreement on the contested wastewater permit for the development. Through the agreement, SOS, Save the Pedernales, and Mirasol neighbors, were able to secure improvements to the quality of the wastewater to be disposed of, monitoring of soil moisture levels to lessen the likelihood of wastewater runoff into surface and groundwater, setbacks and buffers from surface water and springs, and increased water quality monitoring in nearby springs. SOS will continue to closely watch the situation as it progresses and remain ready to jump in to defend the water quality and endangered species that call Roy Creek Canyon and the Pedernales River home. Please support our continued work to protect these unique and fundamental waterways.  It was yet another frustrating day at Austin City Hall at the June 5th Austin City Council meeting. Within the 118-item agenda, which remarkably generates relatively little discussion from the dais, there were several items we were tracking. Items 16/17. On a 7-4 vote, City Council approved water and wastewater services for a property that released itself from the City's extraterritorial jurisdiction. Both the City's Watershed Protection Department Staff and Environmental Commission (unanimous) recommended denial of these service extensions due to non-compliance with Austin's environmental regulations. Providing water and wastewater to this development would increase environmental harm, exceeding the City's impervious cover limits (20% vs. 58% proposed) over the Northern Edwards Aquifer, upstream of Jollyville Plateau Salamander habitat. We're disappointed in the City Council's decision but thankful to Council Members Duchen, Alter, Qadri, and Siegel for voting against. Item 55. This item would fund a new "floating dock" for Parks' storage, near the Camacho Recreation Center, on Lady Bird Lake. This item was postponed to July 24, 2025. Stay tuned. Item 94. City Council approved broad environmental code waivers for its proposed billion-dollar expansion of the Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, an expansion that could increase erosion and nutrients in Walnut Creek. The Council also neglected to incorporate any of the recommendations of the Environmental Commission in the approved ordinance, which included increasing Critical Water Quality Zone mitigation for Walnut Creek. This project is a gross over-expansion of existing infrastructure, one that could be avoided by simply better managing wastewater and conserving more water upfront. Austin taxpayers and our environment will be paying for this boondoggle for many years to come. Item 22. Speaking of boondoggles, the Austin City Council approved the initiation of rezoning for the proposed convention center, despite the objections of neighboring residents and other concerned Austinites over the dead-space the new center will create in what should be a vibrant area of Downtown Austin. This convention center is being funded by Hotel Occupancy Tax revenue that could otherwise support Austin's local artists, musicians, and historic/environmental spaces that actually generate tourism to Austin. For more information about the expansion and how to sign the petition to fight back against it: click here. We have some great snorkel tours coming up...Grab your tickets now for upcoming Eco-tours at our beloved Barton Springs with these environmental leaders: Saturday, July 12 - Caroline Lunning, take a dive into the springs with a Barton Springs Lifeguard and super fun explorer! Sunday, July 20 - Justin Gronquist, son of Wayne Gronquist who helped protect Barton Springs back in the heyday. Get ready for some good stories! JULY ECO-TOUR TICKETS 2025 Summer Membership Drive: Become a member of SOS for only $10 during our summer membership drive. Memberships help us protect more lands and all new members receive discounted eco-tours and a free pair of SOS shades! We also have new t-shirts and merch to show your love for SOS. When and Where: Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during summer break, at the South Gate (906 Azie Morton) entrance of Barton Springs Pool 9am-3pm
As we mentioned last week, Central Texas remains in the grip of a historic drought. While any rain is welcome, it matters where it falls and much of it has missed the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. Here are some recommendations to engage more deeply in water conservation in the coming months:
In Solidarity, SOS Alliance  Last week Save Our Springs, along with other conservation groups, scientists, and community members, submitted a petition authored by conservation biologist Crystal Datri to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the Lipan salamander to receive protections under the Federal Endangered Species Act. The filing of the petition starts a 90-day clock for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine whether the petition presents substantial evidence showing the species should be listed. Taking its common name from a group of indigenous people that have long inhabited the western parts of Texas, the Lipan salamander is a small salamander that retains larval features, including external gills, throughout its life. The species is entirely reliant on groundwater of adequate quantity and quality. The species has an extremely limited range with only about 20 known locations in Edwards, Kinney, Uvalde, and Val Verde counties, from the Nueces to the Devils Rivers in Texas. While the Lipan salamander is a unique species, it is one of 15 salamander species endemic to the Edwards-Trinity aquifer system and faces similar threats common to its genus. With its limited range and dependence on groundwater, its main threats are over pumping of the aquifer that has been exacerbated by climate change. Learn more about the threats facing the species by reading the petition HERE.
Crystal Datri explained the importance of filing the petition: “We're really fortunate here in central Texas because of the types of protections our groundwater resources have: the EAA for the San Marcos and the Comal Springs and the BSEACD for Barton Springs. The Lipan salamander springs don't have those types of protections and some of them, including some of the largest springs in Texas, they're dry. The community swimming pool in Brackettville, the Las Moras springs, has already run dry this year, coinciding with the beginning of irrigation season. There are Lipan salamander springs that haven't run in years. These dying springs may already be extirpation events for the species.”
Crystal also explained that the fate of the Lipan salamander is directly tied to impacts here in Hays County and Comal County: “The Lipan salamander might seem far away out in southwest Texas, but we're dealing with the same aquifer. Those waters, if not captured by pumpers, would come out in springs that those of us in central Texas are more familiar with: the Comal and the San Marcos. Your continued support of Save Our Springs allows us to work with our partners to protect these rare species that make our home so special, thank you for joining us!
Outside of her work at SOS, Lindsey is an Olympic weightlifter and a devoted mom to Eve, and you can spot them most weekends enjoying a wild swim or a kayak adventure. We asked Lindsey to share more about what brought her to this work, what challenges and excites her, and where she finds her favorite waters.
What brought you to SOS, and what do you work on here? Barton Springs brought me to SOS! I had started to swim at the springs regularly and I was feeling like I needed to make a career change. I was sort of lost during this time, just swimming until I could figure it out. I started forming relationships with other regulars at Barton Springs and got plugged into the Zilker Park Vision plan debacle. I'll never forget standing by the pool and watching Ben Livingston march down the stairs and announce to all of us swimmers, "Can you believe this bull*%$&!" holding a print-out about the vision plan in his hands. I started to volunteer and show up. Later that fall I heard that SOS was hiring, and the rest is history! For the past two seasons I have worked as the Outreach Coordinator at SOS, managing tabling efforts, leading snorkel tours and ecotours, and helping to manage our summer internship program. A lot of this work keeps me out of the office and at the springs—which is a great part of the job. Why did you choose to work in water conservation? I spent years studying environmental literature in graduate school at UT and I knew I needed to do something more directly involved with the material world. I had always enjoyed my years as a public school teacher, so outreach and outdoor education was a perfect fit. What’s the most challenging part of your role? I think figuring out how to give people memorable and transformative in-water experiences has been challenging. It's something magical that is really hard to design and execute in advance. So much of our bond with nature occurs spontaneously and through play. How to allow for people to capture this playful aspect of solo exploration while simultaneously "leading" a group of people through a pre-set itinerary is a challenging art. It is one that I am still figuring out. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Be here now.
What part of this work is most rewarding for you? Hands down, leading ecotours and snorkel tours and seeing people discover new swim spots that they want to return to and keep building relationships with. Also, educating elementary school age kids about how groundwater is hugely rewarding. What’s a common misconception you hear about Texas water? That there is none! Since traveling abroad, I have heard many people be surprised that there is decent swimming in Texas. I always tell them not only is there decent swimming, Central Texas is home to some of the best swimming holes in the world. I am very proud of our water in Texas. What we have here is very special and far surpasses many "iconic" swim spots of the world. What’s something unexpected about you? A fun fact! My other sport is Olympic weightlifting! Where’s your favorite place you’ve ever gone swimming? Ooooh this is such a mean question. (I'm not counting the Springs in this question). For freshwater I would have to say the waterfalls in Barton Creek Wilderness Park and a close runner-up being Cascade Lake on Orcas Island, WA. For salt water, it would be the channel swim between St. Kitts and Nevis Island where I got to swim with my partner and saw a handful of sea turtles along the way. Oh and Brighton Beach, English Channel! Where I faced my fear of ocean swimming and sobbed on the beach afterwards because I was so happy. If you could take anyone on a Texas river trip, who would it be and where would you go? Of course I would take my daughter, Eve. I love exposing her to the outdoors and she is a natural wild swimmer. In a perfect world, I would love to take her to the swimming holes on the Frio that are in the H.E. Butt Foundation Camp Grounds. There is a blue hole there that is 30 feet deep! But I would equally enjoy taking her back to the Frio in Garner State Park. Spending all day in the water with her, watching her wade and explore through the shallows, watching her captain her kayak Gingerbread (she named it, not me), and mermaid through the crystal clear waters is all I ever need in this world. What's the funniest thing a kid has said while on a snorkel tour? "Is this a petting zoo?" (asking about the geese. Eager to touch geese). How much can you bench? I have no idea how much I bench but my snatch pr is 38 kg right now! (The snatch is one of two lifts in the sport of weightlifting, the other being the clean and jerk. The objective of the snatch is to lift the barbell from the ground to overhead in one continuous motion) Tell us about a scary encounter in the wild - creature, weather, or other. A year or so ago I wanted to take a quick dip in Barton Creek before work. I knew there was a chance of thunderstorms in an hour but I figured I would be down and up in plenty of time. Well, the water was so beautiful and it was so calm and peaceful out there that one thing led to another and my dip turned into a full on swim-selfcare-communing with Nature session. Warning!: The Greenbelt always works its magic: time seems to stop when you are down at the creek (this should be posted at every trailhead). As I was standing in the water taking pictures I felt raindrops and suddenly remembered where I was and that it was time to GO. As I was hurrying to pack my things and pull on shorts over a wet bathing suit, I saw a bright flash of lightning. OK now we REALLY have to go! However, I still had a 20 minute hike up the Hill of Life in between me and my car. I tore across the flat meadow on the way to the hill. This hike was now going to be an uphill sprint. I hit the button on my sportwatch (might as well get the PR if I make it out alive) and started the long haul up the Hill. Lighting was now absolutely CRACKING above my head, it seemed like mere feet away from me. I was cursing myself for being so careless but I finally made it up to the top and to my car, lucky that I did not get a collateral strike charge from a tree out there. I also learned that my official "Running For My Life" pace is about 10 minutes a mile up the Hill of Life. With a couple of breaks. Not exactly David Goggins, but I'll take it. The lesson here? Folks! With access to high quality weather apps, no one should ever get "caught" in a thunderstorm. (P.S. Beware of Greenbelt magic. It will always keep you longer than you think :) Whether she’s underwater, online, or on the trail, Lindsey shows up for the springs and the people who love them. We are so lucky to have Lindsey on our team. To join Lindsey on a Snorkel Tour, sign up below! IN THIS ISSUE: Thursday, May 15th - Join Us for the Statesman PUD Hearing Stand Up for Our Endangered Species Saturday, May 17, SOS + The Long Time, Sandlot Baseball Benefit Stop the Water-Guzzling CloudBurst Data Center in San Marcos May and June Eco-tours at Barton Springs  SOS In Court This Thursday to Defend Lady Bird LakeJoin us this Thursday, May 15th at 2:00 p.m. at the Travis County Courthouse for a court hearing in SOS Alliance v. Watson, et al., our Texas Open Meetings Act challenge against the Austin City Council's unlawful approval of the Statesman PUD. The hearing will take place in person and is expected to last 3 hours. Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility 2:00–5:00 p.m. 1700 Guadalupe Street, Austin, TX 78701 10th Floor, Courtroom 10(C) (Judge Soifer) This case focuses on governmental transparency and accountability. It's also about guaranteeing a participatory democracy by allowing the public a fair chance to express their views on Council votes on matters of significant interest to the community (i.e., one of our members was limited to just 12 seconds per zoning item). The process for approving the Statesman PUD ordinance (and related items) was deeply flawed. It did not inform the public about the full scope of what was being approved, including dramatic changes at 3rd reading to increase the heights on the property to 725 feet (taller than the Jenga Tower). Under the guise of a "zoning" amendment, the Austin City Council approved the relocation of the Hike and Bike Trail, eroded environmental protections of the Lady Bird Lake shoreline, and approved the removal of almost 100 mature trees along the trail and lake. Your presence in the courtroom will send a clear message that Austinites expect transparency, accountability, and protection of our lakefront, not backroom deals. Parking and Transit Options:
 Join SOS This Saturday at The Long TimeJoin us at The Long Time this Saturday, May 17th for an afternoon of sandlot baseball, live Cajun music, cold plunges, and good times! Nestled in east Austin, The Long Time is both sandlot ballfield AND community event space. This year, The Long Time selected Save Our Springs Alliance as their featured nonprofit for the Steppin’ Up to the Plate campaign in honor of the critical work we do in Central Texas! Game Day Lineup: 11:00 AM: Nashville Dollys vs. Austin Grackles 3:00 PM: Austin Moon Towers vs. Your Texas Playboys Live Music: 2:15 PM: Charles Thibodeaux & The Austin Cajun Aces 4:30 PM: Hayride music set All Day: Left Field Flea Market, local drinks & yummy food, cold plunge stations from our friends at MeltWell starting at 1PM (bring a swimsuit & towel or purchase one at the general store) Location: 5707 Dunlap Road North, Austin, TX 78725 For every $10+ donation, you'll up your chances to win a raffle with prizes like a Barton Springs season pass (+ free parking), gorgeous artwork by Roger Paul Mason, and a gift basket brimming with local treasures. Come for the fun, stay for the cause -- protecting our waters. See you there!  Dangerous Rollback on Endangered Species' Habitat Protections - Speak Up Now The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to weaken one of the most important tools we have to protect endangered wildlife. A proposed rule change would strip away federal protections against habitat destruction by redefining what it means to “harm” an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). You can read more about the proposed change HERE.This change would be devastating for species like the Barton Springs salamander and the Golden-cheeked warbler, both listed as endangered because their habitats are being destroyed. For over 50 years, the ESA has safeguarded America’s most vulnerable wildlife. If this change goes through, it will open the door to unchecked development and ecological collapse across the entire country. We can’t let that happen. Submit a public comment by May 19 Speak up before it’s too late. You don't have to go into detail, even a simple comment makes a difference. Tell them you oppose this change to habitat protection! How to submit a comment:
Let Senators Cruz and Cornyn, and your Congressional rep know you oppose this rollback. Share this alert Forward this to friends, neighbors, and everyone who cares about keeping Texas wild. Now’s the time to act. Let’s stand up for the species that can’t speak for themselves.  Hays County: Speak Out Against the Proposed CloudBurst Data Center
We’re in the midst of a water crisis. Hays County is currently facing a Stage IV Exceptional Drought, the most severe classification, and prolonged periods of intense drought have become our new reality. While we struggle to conserve our rivers and aquifers, a new threat looms—water-intensive data centers are being proposed throughout our region, ignoring the limitations of our already strained water supplies. The proposed data centers on Francis Harris Lane in southern Hays County, including the massive CloudBurst AI data center, exemplify the imminent danger to our water resources. These facilities would consume hundreds of thousands of gallons of water daily for cooling. When combined with the water needed to cool the power plants for their extreme energy usage, the ultimate water consumption of these data centers could rival that of small towns. With our aquifers and rivers already under immense stress due to severe drought conditions, these data centers will exacerbate our water crisis. Climate experts warn that droughts will only worsen over time, making this type of water-intensive development not just reckless but irresponsible. It’s time to act. Join us on Tuesday, May 20th, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. at the Hays County Commissioners Court (Downtown San Marcos, Third Floor) to voice your concerns. Sign up at the door before 9:00 a.m. to demand transparency about the project’s water sources, emphasize the ongoing drought, and advocate for sustainable, water-conscious development that safeguards our future. We need our elected leaders to sound the alarm now, before irreversible harm is done. This is our moment to protect Hays County’s water for generations to come. Show up, speak out, and help stop this disaster in the making, before it’s too late. IN THIS ISSUE: Help Stop the $5.6 Billion Dollar Convention Center Waste Protect Water Quality on Our Pristine Streams - SB 1911 An American Eel Spotted at Barton Springs We’re Hiring! Summer Internship Applications Now Open New Eco-Tours for May and June  Save Austin's Soul, Not the Convention CenterNew Convention Center or local parks and culture, you decide. Volunteer now to Save Austin's Soul -- before it's too late! Yes, it really is that binary. While our City Manager sounds the alarm on budget cuts and revenue losses, our City Council barges ahead with a $5.6 billion boondoggle project to tear down the center we have and build a new, bigger convention center. If the Austin City Council keeps going, 75 to 80% of our hotel tourism tax dollars -- over $170 million per year -- will be tied up for 30 years to cover the massive debt and tens of millions every year in operating losses. But nobody comes to Austin for the convention center. The City tells us it's about 1% of visitors. The whole convention industry is dying, sliding downward since the 2008 bust. As virtual meetings boom, actual convention attendance declines and convention centers sit empty across the nation. As the mismatch between supply and demand widens, Austin and other cities now have to give away the space for free to attract conventions and events. Only a handful of downtown luxury hotels and giant construction, engineering, and architecture firms benefit from digging The Magic Hole for the new convention center. People visit Austin, businesses locate here, and we live here because of Austin's water, parks, and local culture. Culture and nature-in-the city visitors generate far more of the $170 million per year hotel tax collections than the convention center ever did or ever will. We are rapidly losing the Soul of Austin because of blind greed and failed leadership and integrity at City Hall. But we can stop this massive, 30-year transfer of wealth from the local creatives and Austin places that we love and are losing. With 20,000 Austin voter signatures, we can force a public vote this November. That vote would pause construction of the new center and make funding available to support local culture and nature tourism Austin’s top hotel tax priority. Want to help? Contact SOS here or the Austin United PAC here to help gather the petition signatures we need. Learn more and contribute to Austin United PAC here. Watch and share Austin Free Press' The Magic Hole short documentary for the truth about this civic nightmare. It takes a community to save a community. Please join with us today, next week, and until we have the petition certified.  No Sewage in Barton Creek: Help Pass SB 1911Senator Eckhardt has filed a bill to protect Texas’ last remaining pristine streams, including Barton Creek and Onion Creek, from new pollution due to the discharge of treated municipal sewage. SB 1911 would discontinue TCEQ’s ability to issue wastewater discharge permits, also known as TPDES permits, into Texas streams that have very low concentrations of phosphorus to protect their crystal clear waters and prevent algae blooms. You can read the text of SB 1911 here and check out an article featuring some of SOS’s partner organizations that describes the issues with wastewater discharges in the Texas Hill Country at this link. Please take a few minutes to express support for this bill by emailing:
What makes this American eel sighting so remarkable is the extraordinary migration and biology that made it possible. Their journey from the Sargasso sea to our springs is a feat of survival, swimming entirely upstream and crossing dams, levees, and drought-stricken areas. They can breathe through their skin for several hours in wet conditions, which could explain how this particular eel navigated to the springs' waters after recent rainfall across Central Texas. READ MORE HERE
 Nico Hauwert's sold out Eco-tour last week was epic! We ventured to secret caves and springs, where Nico shared expertise on dye tracing and the complexity of our aquifer system.  Don’t miss what’s ahead! Grab your tickets now for upcoming Eco-tours, including the first Barton Springs snorkeling adventure of the season in just two weeks, featuring some of Austin’s most amazing environmental leaders as our guides.
At Save Our Springs, we’re fighting to protect what makes this city livable, lovable, and unique. But we can’t do it without your support. If you believe in defending Austin’s soul over corporate spectacle, please consider donating today. Your gift helps fund our legal work, education programs, and campaigns to stop wasteful projects and salvage our natural and cultural heritage.
In Solidarity, SOS Alliance   A remarkable biological encounter occurred at Barton Springs Pool on April 22, 2025. While diving near the spring vent just west of the diving board, EMS educator, Search and Rescue Operations Specialist, and longtime regular swimmer, Bill Hanson, caught a glimpse of the elusive American eel (Anguilla rostrata). Although 2 resident eels thrived in the springs for over a decade, they have not been observed in the Springs in several years, and populations are in steep decline across much of their habitat range. “As I was descending toward the cave, I saw the head of a large fish emerge from the opening,” Hanson recalled. “The body following behind this fish’s head kept coming, relentlessly. I finally accepted that what I was seeing was a 3–4 foot, beautiful blue eel.” Hanson, who has been swimming at Barton Springs for nearly 17 years, had never seen anything like it there. “It swam northeast, undaunted and calm… kind of a battleship-blue, without a blemish on its skin.” By the time he surfaced and alerted others, the eel had disappeared. Two additional sightings were reported later that week by Barton Springs "regulars", and these sightings have sparked wonder and excitement. “Eels remind us that nature is still full of mystery,” says Dr. Melanie Stiassny, a leading ichthyologist at the American Museum of Natural History. “Their story is one of the most extraordinary in the animal kingdom.” The American eel spends most of its life in freshwater before migrating to spawn thousands of miles to the Sargasso Sea, a warm, gyre-bound region of the Atlantic Ocean east of the Bahamas. After hatching, the leaf-like larvae drift in the ocean currents for up to a year before transforming into transparent “glass eels” and making their way inland via rivers and streams. Once in freshwater, they develop into yellowish pigmented “elvers,” eventually maturing into adults and living in lakes, estuaries, or springs for 30 years (or more) before returning to the Sargasso Sea to breed and then presumably die.  Student views a live American eel at Barton Springs University The complex life cycle of this fish faces dangers around every bend. Dams and levees block upstream migration routes, urban development degrades freshwater habitats, and pollution affects water quality. Commercial overfishing, particularly of juvenile eels in the glass eel stage, has also dramatically reduced populations. Moreover, the species has never successfully reproduced in captivity, which limits recovery efforts. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, American eel populations have declined by over 80% in some regions since the 1970s and in 2014, they were officially listed as endangered by the IUCN. Since American eels are mostly nocturnal and avoid light, they are rarely observed in the wild, making any sighting significant. So, how did the eel end up in the Springs? American eels possess the ability to breathe through their skin, a trait known as cutaneous respiration. This allows them to leave the water for several hours and travel short distances across wet land, which may explain how the recent rains enabled this individual to access the Springs. The reappearance of the American eel at Barton Springs is a signal of hope. As an indicator species, the eel reflects the health of these waters and offers proof that the pathways between the sea and the Springs have endured despite the age of concrete and control. Hanson, known for his love for all things wild at Barton Springs (he even attempted a Heimlich maneuver on a fish choking on a crawdad), sees the eel’s presence as a reminder that even in urbanized landscapes, nature still has the capacity to surprise us, “It reminded me how little we really know about what shares this water with us.” The eel has returned to Barton Springs, one more reason Barton Springs remains a place of awe. Who will be among the few lucky enough to see it?
Eel paintings by Kate Csillagi, SOS Communications Director.
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