A shaded stretch of Austin’s most heavily traveled trail is about to become a construction site for up to eight years. But with days to go before equipment is moved beneath I-35, details of a years-long detour for the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail remain up in the air. The 10-mile-long Butler […]
Lady Bird Lake
Posted inEnvironment
Rite of spring: Dog-killing algae makes an early appearance in Austin waterways
Scientists with Austin’s Watershed Protection Department have spotted clumps of blue-green algae near Red Bud Isle on Lady Bird Lake. This year marks one of the earliest seasonal reports of the algae, also known as cyanobacteria, which can be toxic to animals and humans. Since it was first detected in the region in 2019, cyanobacteria […]
Posted inTransportation
East Austin’s ‘wishbone’ bridge takes shape as concrete beams almost span Lady Bird Lake
Massive concrete beams now extend over the water at the east end of Lady Bird Lake as a new three-pronged pedestrian bridge – the first of its kind in Austin – comes together next to the Longhorn Dam. Only one gap remains before the bridge’s skeleton is assembled. Once complete in mid-2026, this long-awaited “wishbone […]
Posted inWater
A malfunction at Longhorn Dam that caused Lady Bird Lake to lose water has been fixed
If you happened to be near Austin’s Lady Bird Lake on Monday, you might have noticed it looked different. The lake level, which usually stays constant year-round, had dropped by about 2 feet, exposing stretches of muddy, sometimes smelly, shoreline. The cause was a problem at Longhorn Dam on Sunday night. “We experienced a control […]
Posted inParks
Parks board to ask Council to explain why it bypassed public input on a Lady Bird Lake boat rental concession
Members of the Parks and Recreation Board said Monday they will ask City Council to reexamine a 2019 ordinance that circumvented public input to allow an adventure excursion company to operate a boating concession on Lady Bird Lake. The request for Council reconsideration may be futile, board members also acknowledged. By the time the board […]
Posted inParks
After lake drownings, safety upgrades come to Rainey Street trailhead
Lee esta historia en español More than a year after community members called for better lighting and safety measures along a portion of Lady Bird Lake near Rainey Street, permanent upgrades are finally nearing completion. The pleas and demands came from family and friends of two men who drowned in the lake last spring near […]
Posted inEnvironment
A lot of that green sludge in Lady Bird Lake is actually a sign of a healthy waterway
If you’ve been near Austin’s Lady Bird Lake lately, you might have noticed a little less water is visible. Parts of the lake, especially along the shores and inlets, are covered in mats of green vegetation. It can look goopy, maybe even dangerous, given the presence of toxic blue-green algae in local waterways. But most of […]
Posted inEnvironment
‘There is no cure’: Austin urges people to keep dogs away from possibly toxic blue-green algae
Blue-green algae is back in Lady Bird Lake and Lake Austin, according to Austin’s Watershed Protection Department. The department says test results will be posted next month revealing whether the algae is toxic. In the meantime, the city recommends avoiding algae on waterways whenever possible. Ingesting toxic blue-green algae can present a host of grave […]
Posted inPublic Safety
City Council approves additional cameras, park rangers in Rainey Street district
The city will direct more public safety resources toward the Rainey Street neighborhood to prevent additional drowning deaths suffered by patrons of the bars and restaurants frequenting the popular nightlife district. City Council unanimously passed a resolution Thursday that directs city staff to create an interim pedestrian safety plan for the district, which should include […]
Posted inParks
New plan will bring more art to hike-and-bike trail
Visitors to the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail may soon have the opportunity to enjoy more art along Lady Bird Lake, thanks to a new plan that lifts an almost decadelong moratorium on new public art. Monday’s regular meeting of the Arts Commission included a presentation by the Trail Conservancy (TTC) regarding the creation […]
Posted inEnvironment
Report: Austin needs to take action to mitigate impacts of watercraft overcrowding on Lady Bird Lake
Austin must take action to better manage watercraft on Lady Bird Lake, according to results from a comprehensive lake capacity study unveiled at the Environmental Commission on March 1. The Parks and Recreation Board commissioned the study in December 2021 to assess the impacts of high levels of traffic from watercraft on the lake, including […]
Posted inEnvironment
Lady Bird Lake has looked kind of junky lately. Here’s why.
It’s hard to think of a location more beloved to the people of Austin than Lady Bird Lake, often called the crown jewel of the city. Thousands of joggers, picnickers and kayakers flock to its shores every day to commune with the outdoors. Lately, many of them have been saying the same thing: The lake […]