The city of Austin has officially opened a new section of the hike and bike trail along Lady Bird Lake. The quarter-mile stretch of trail connects what officials said was the last remaining gap in the 10-mile lakeside loop. Before Wednesday, the trail along the lake’s northeast shore turned away from the water near the […]
Lady Bird Lake
Posted inAustin
More public art is headed to the hike-and-bike trail
For the past several years, a moratorium has prevented the installment of any new public artworks in the vicinity of Austin’s hike-and-bike trail and Lady Bird Lake. With the expiration of that moratorium, the Trail Foundation, which has taken over management of the area, is making plans to incorporate more public art into the city’s […]
Posted inParks
PARD details the search for a new home for a newish boathouse
It’s not every day that 300 people show up for a local webinar, but when a future rail system threatens to collide with a popular rowing center and cafe, community members tend to take note. The occasion in this case was a community engagement forum on Wednesday that was part of City Council’s direction to […]
Posted inEnvironment
Watershed Protection sets high bar for restoring Waller Creek
With the city and its public and private partners out to restore and enhance the Waller Creek delta that runs from Fourth Street to Lady Bird Lake, the southern stretch of Waterloo Greenway is due for more work. This section of the creek holds the dubious distinction of being one of the five worst erosion […]
Posted inEnvironment
Toxic algae blooms expected to recur
Algae in Austin’s waterways is nothing new. In the summertime when the water warms up and flows slowly, it’s common to see tendrils of blue-green algae floating in the current. “It’s a very seasonal pattern. A very regular pattern,” Brent Bellinger with the Watershed Protection Department told the Environmental Commission at its Aug. 21 meeting. […]
Posted inEnvironment
Austin officials advise keeping pets out of Lady Bird Lake following death of two dogs
The city of Austin is warning people to keep their pets out of Lady Bird Lake while authorities test the water for the presence of harmful algae. Two dogs died recently after swimming in the lake, though officials cannot confirm the cause of death. City scientists found clumps of algae rising to the surface from […]
Posted inEnvironment
Despite zebra mussels, Austin’s waterways seeing a recovery trend
The news is full of horror stories about zebra mussels invading intake pipes and sediment causing city water to be of questionable quality. Yet statistics show that, overall, the waterways of Austin are regaining their health. According to Mateo Scoggins of the Watershed Protection Department, “We’re seeing an increase in overall health in these systems, which […]
Posted inPlanning
Austin explores options for new pedestrian bridge over Lady Bird Lake
There are enjoyable ways to walk or bike across Lady Bird Lake, but the Pleasant Valley Bridge is not one of them. A narrow sidewalk, a chain-link fence and low guardrails are all features that make the East Austin crossing unsafe. For years, the city has floated ideas to improve the crossing, with no results. […]