Protecting Barton Springs & the Edwards Aquifer
The Edwards Aquifer is one of the most productive and consequential aquifers in America, serving as the primary drinking water source for over 2 million people in Central/South Texas Hill Country, including the City of San Antonio. The Edwards Aquifer also replenishes critical springs (e.g., Barton Springs) that provide habitat for several threatened and endangered species, including the Barton Springs Salamander (Eurycea sosorum).
Since 1992, the Save Our Springs Alliance (SOS) has been the only public interest legal group dedicated to the protection of the Edwards Aquifer, its springs and contributing streams throughout the Hill Country. With the rapid growth that the Hill Country continues to experience, along with the increasing threats of drought due to climate change, the Edwards Aquifer remains uniquely susceptible to multiple threats that could diminish its water quality and water quantity.
Save Our Springs, through education, advocacy and legal action, works to enhance local, state and federal regulations to protect the Edwards Aquifer from overpumping, overdevelopment and pollutant contamination.
Since 1992, the Save Our Springs Alliance (SOS) has been the only public interest legal group dedicated to the protection of the Edwards Aquifer, its springs and contributing streams throughout the Hill Country. With the rapid growth that the Hill Country continues to experience, along with the increasing threats of drought due to climate change, the Edwards Aquifer remains uniquely susceptible to multiple threats that could diminish its water quality and water quantity.
Save Our Springs, through education, advocacy and legal action, works to enhance local, state and federal regulations to protect the Edwards Aquifer from overpumping, overdevelopment and pollutant contamination.
Current Legal & Advocacy Efforts
Save Our Springs Alliance (SOS) attorneys provide a legal voice for the Central/South Texas Hill Country through direct legal action.
SOS focuses most of its actions on the largest threats to water, wildlife and conservation lands, including major highway expansions, regulatory rollbacks, and wastewater discharge permits. Throughout the years, SOS has successfully used litigation to preserve water quality regulations, secure endangered species protections, enhance standards for wastewater disposal, and hold local governments accountable for violations to open meetings and public information laws.
Outside the courtroom, SOS participates in legal research, educational outreach and policy development to assist local governmental entities in adopting and implementing strong environmental rules and standards. Additionally, SOS tracks and reviews development permits, road construction and other development-related activity to ensure that current environmental regulations are being followed.
As a non-profit organization, with limited resources, SOS must prioritize its work to ensure it is fulfilling its underlying mission to protect the Edwards Aquifer. In furtherance of this mission and in accordance with need, SOS occasionally offers low-cost legal service to other non-profit organizations related to environmental protection.
SOS focuses most of its actions on the largest threats to water, wildlife and conservation lands, including major highway expansions, regulatory rollbacks, and wastewater discharge permits. Throughout the years, SOS has successfully used litigation to preserve water quality regulations, secure endangered species protections, enhance standards for wastewater disposal, and hold local governments accountable for violations to open meetings and public information laws.
Outside the courtroom, SOS participates in legal research, educational outreach and policy development to assist local governmental entities in adopting and implementing strong environmental rules and standards. Additionally, SOS tracks and reviews development permits, road construction and other development-related activity to ensure that current environmental regulations are being followed.
As a non-profit organization, with limited resources, SOS must prioritize its work to ensure it is fulfilling its underlying mission to protect the Edwards Aquifer. In furtherance of this mission and in accordance with need, SOS occasionally offers low-cost legal service to other non-profit organizations related to environmental protection.
south mopac expansion
SOS helped stop the giant Mopac South toll expansion in 2015, and now it’s back. The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) is pushing forward with a dangerous expansion, adding 6-8 lanes over the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, from Cesar Chavez to Slaughter Lane, on top of Lady Bird Lake, Zilker Park, Austin High School, and the Barton Creek Greenbelt. The CTRMA is avoiding a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to move the project forward without proper protections and exploring alternatives. We are working with experts to make sure CTRMA is held accountable. Here's some of what's at stake for a potential 5 minute reduction of traffic and years of damaging construction:
- Damage Water Quality: More pavement over the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone increases highway pollution flowing through the aquifer and to the downstream creeks and river.
- Pollute Barton Springs: Construction within 1/4 mile of the springs will increase sedimentation and pollution, CONTAMINATING Barton Springs pool.
- Threaten Endangered Species: The Austin Blind and Barton Springs Salamanders are especially vulnerable to water pollution and sedimentation (dirt) that clogs their gills and destroys their shelters.
- Disrupt Creeks & Greenbelt: New and expanded bridges over Lady Bird Lake, Barton Creek, Gaines Creek, Williamson Creek, and the Greenbelt will increase noise and disrupt enjoyment of these natural areas.
- Worsen Air Quality: Adding lanes leads to more cars, through induced demand, worsening emissions and air quality in neighborhoods and schools like Austin High School.
- Destroy Trees & Parkland: Large-scale tree clearing and use of parkland on both sides of the highway will be required for construction easements and infrastructure.
MIrasol springs development
Dallas billionaire Steve Winn is attempting to develop a massive luxury resort on one of the most environmentally sensitive areas along the Pedernales River in the Texas Hill Country west of Austin. Situated next to Hamilton Pool and Reimers Ranch—two of Travis
County’s most cherished public parks—this development, called Mirasol Springs, threatens to cause irreversible damage to the region.
Despite marketing itself as “environmentally friendly,” the proposed resort—which includes a large hotel, a farm, cabins, restaurants, and 70 luxury homesites—poses serious risks to the environment:
In response, local landowners and environmental organizations—including Save Our Springs, the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, and Save Barton Creek Association— are opposing this harmful development by fighting the development’s wastewater permit and groundwater pumping permits. Our efforts to engage with the developer have been partially successful, but Mirasol has rejected many of our pressing environmental concerns, which has forced landowners and environmental advocates into costly legal battles
We need your help. Your contributions will fund legal fees, dye tracing studies, and expert witnesses needed to challenge Mirasol’s permits in court. In the memo, please notate you would like your contribution to support "Save the Pedernales".
County’s most cherished public parks—this development, called Mirasol Springs, threatens to cause irreversible damage to the region.
Despite marketing itself as “environmentally friendly,” the proposed resort—which includes a large hotel, a farm, cabins, restaurants, and 70 luxury homesites—poses serious risks to the environment:
- The development would consume 155,000 gallons of water per day, depleting precious waterresources during one of the worst droughts in Central Texas history.
- Raw sewage piped across pristine Roy Creek, as the developer has proposed, poses a threat to this currently pristine stream.
- Insufficiently-treated sewage would be irrigated over a downward-sloping field draining directly into the Pedernales River, and nearby springs.
In response, local landowners and environmental organizations—including Save Our Springs, the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, and Save Barton Creek Association— are opposing this harmful development by fighting the development’s wastewater permit and groundwater pumping permits. Our efforts to engage with the developer have been partially successful, but Mirasol has rejected many of our pressing environmental concerns, which has forced landowners and environmental advocates into costly legal battles
We need your help. Your contributions will fund legal fees, dye tracing studies, and expert witnesses needed to challenge Mirasol’s permits in court. In the memo, please notate you would like your contribution to support "Save the Pedernales".
hays commons development
Thanks to months of community action and coalition efforts—including Save Our Springs Alliance, Save Barton Creek Association, Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, Austin Sierra Club, Austin Environmental Democrats, and Hays Residents for Land and Water Protection—the push to amend the Save Our Springs Ordinance for Milestone’s “Hays Commons” development has been withdrawn.
Enormous thanks to the hundreds of SOS members and allies spoke out, and your voices made a difference. City leaders took notice, with Austin Planning Commissioners questioning the project’s conflicts with sustainable growth plans and the environmental risks to the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. We continue to battle this project in hopes that we can reduce the scale of this harmful development.
Milestone is still pursuing a Municipal Utility District (MUD) application with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and seeking a TLAP (Texas Land Application Permit) that would allow spray irrigation of treated wastewater over the Recharge Zone—threatening our water quality. SOS is actively contesting these proposals, and we need your support to continue the fight.
Enormous thanks to the hundreds of SOS members and allies spoke out, and your voices made a difference. City leaders took notice, with Austin Planning Commissioners questioning the project’s conflicts with sustainable growth plans and the environmental risks to the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. We continue to battle this project in hopes that we can reduce the scale of this harmful development.
Milestone is still pursuing a Municipal Utility District (MUD) application with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and seeking a TLAP (Texas Land Application Permit) that would allow spray irrigation of treated wastewater over the Recharge Zone—threatening our water quality. SOS is actively contesting these proposals, and we need your support to continue the fight.
Education & Outreach
One of the greatest challenges to Save Our Springs Alliance’s work is communicating effectively to new citizens and the general public on where the Edwards Aquifer is located, why it is important and vulnerable, and why development upstream in the Hill Country pollutes Barton Springs.
We realize that the only way to preserve the Hill Country and Barton Springs is by public outreach and by dramatically increasing our efforts to educate the citizens and local officials about the threats to the Edwards Aquifer and Barton Springs, and how we as a community can protect it for future generations.
Our leading educational effort is through our Barton Springs University (BSU) Program.
We realize that the only way to preserve the Hill Country and Barton Springs is by public outreach and by dramatically increasing our efforts to educate the citizens and local officials about the threats to the Edwards Aquifer and Barton Springs, and how we as a community can protect it for future generations.
Our leading educational effort is through our Barton Springs University (BSU) Program.
Barton Springs & Barton Creek Snorkel Tours
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Snorkel Tours are back! Embark on a journey of discovery with Save Our Springs Alliance as we share mutual appreciation for Barton Springs and the Barton Creek greenbelt. Our Snorkel Tours are designed to educate and inspire, offering an immersive experience into Austin's most cherished natural areas.
Read more about upcoming tour guides here! |
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Our Wins
Over the years, SOS, in partnership with various other environmental organizations and local governmental entities, has played a critical role in:
1992 SOS OrdinancePrevailing at the Texas Supreme Court in upholding the voter-initiated and voter-approved Save Our Springs Initiative Ordinance, which protects Barton Springs by enhancing water quality standards for developments in the Barton Spring Zone;
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Austin's Water WatchdogOpposing the direct discharge of effluent into Hill Country creeks and tributaries and advancing alternative, on-site treatment options
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Environmental ProtectionForcing compliance from numerous developers with local and state water quality protection regulations
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Environmental RegulationHelping defeat state legislation aimed at reducing local authority to adopt and enforce environmental regulations
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