Smoke gets in our eyes

Seeing smoke on the horizon? It might be from a prescribed burn being conducted today by Austin Water. The utility will be burning on 99 acres of Water Quality Protection Lands, and smoke from the burn “may be visible south of State Highway 45 and MoPac, east of FM 1826, west of Brodie Lane, and northwest of FM 1626 from 10 a.m. to sunset,” according to the news release. Luke Ball, with Austin Water’s Wildland Conservation Division, explained, “Conducting prescribed burns is one of the strategies used to manage these lands and protect groundwater in Central Texas. Prescribed burns improve the resiliency of our land when they are used as a planned seasonal management tool.” In addition to reducing the danger of wildfire, prescribed fires promote the growth of native grasslands and greater biodiversity that helps to recharge the Edwards Aquifer. Sign up here if you’d like to receive notifications by email about future prescribed burns.