Dusty, a city public-works staff member, told the council the water available to sustain the ponds at Brook Falls Park will fall sharply in 2025 and described trade-offs and options for protecting the ponds.

“Previously, we had 10.9 acre-feet of water allotted for the city of Windcrest, which is just about 3,800,000 gallons,” Dusty said. “Starting this year in 2025, we will lose 3.9 acre-feet of water, which is just over 1,300,000 gallons, leaving us about 2,200,000 gallons.” He told the council that in a worse case — a move to stage 5 restrictions on the Edwards Aquifer — the allotment could fall as low as about 6.1 acre-feet (a roughly 44% reduction), leaving still less water to pump into the ponds.

Dusty said the city will explore lining and silt removal to retain water, but those are expensive, multi-step projects. He described the process: let water recede, sandbag and pump down, remove silt to reach firm substrate, install a plastic liner, then refill. Dusty also said the city’s underwater aerators and fountains are being managed to avoid stirring silt when water levels are low; one fountain was shut down after it clogged.

City staff also raised a wildlife-management decision. Dead trees on an island that currently concentrate nesting egrets are visually unsightly and deteriorating. Removing those trees would remove the concentration of birds on the island but likely drive egrets to nest in trees closer to residents’ front yards, staff said. Dusty said Texas Parks and Wildlife warned the city that birds displaced from the island often relocate nearby.

Resident Leslie Herbst, speaking during public comment, raised separate concerns about Brook Falls Park’s condition: “The fountain is not working, hasn’t been working for weeks… there seems to be some kind of algae or some other kind of toxin growing in the water,” she said, adding that dead trees and lack of dog waste bags diminish the park’s appearance and utility.

Dusty and council members discussed other steps: the city can purchase additional acre-feet on the open market (permanent ownership once bought), pursue silt removal and lining, and defer pumping until spring to conserve water for the summer. Dusty said the city plans outreach and newsletter articles to explain the changes to residents.