Austin Water outlines management of 49,000 acres and moves to renew endangered‑species permit

Austin Water told the Climate, Water, Environment, and Parks Committee on July 30 that the utility manages about 49,000 acres of conservation land through two main programs and is seeking to renew a long‑standing incidental‑take permit with federal regulators.

Austin Water Director Shay Rolson introduced the Wildland Conservation Division briefing, and Sherry Cool, environmental resource officer, described two principal programs: the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve (BCP) and the Water Quality Protection Lands. The programs combine fee‑owned parcels, conservation easements and partnerships with Travis County and other land managers to protect habitat and water recharge for the Austin area.

The nut graf: The division manages lands both to protect species—including the golden‑cheeked warbler and several cave invertebrates—and to safeguard water quality and supply. Justin Bates, the Wildland Conservation Division manager, told the committee that the programs also provide regulatory certainty for development through a habitat conservation plan and incidental‑take permit and that the city is preparing for the permit renewal process.

Bates said the combined footprint of lands protected under the BCP and Water Quality Protection Lands totals about 49,000 acres, with roughly 33,000 acres in the BCP footprint (protected by the city and county) and over 12,000 acres the city manages outright in the Barton Springs recharge area, plus more than 22,000 acres held by conservation easement. He described ongoing monitoring work: nesting‑season plots for golden‑cheeked warbler, underground surveys for karst species, and field research to assess threats and ecosystem health.

The presentation covered active land management techniques. Bates said the division uses prescribed fire on about 7,000 acres of savanna to mimic historical fire regimes, while woodland areas are managed using fuel‑breaks and ladder‑fuel reductions rather than repeated burns. He noted the program conducts more than 1,300 acres of prescribed fire annually on targeted savanna parcels and performs regular boundary patrols and easement compliance monitoring.

On the legal and regulatory front, Bates told the committee that the city recently received confirmation from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that the city’s 30‑year incidental‑take permit (which runs through next May) will remain in effect while staff work through the renewal. He said the city has executed an interlocal agreement with Travis County to hire consultant support for the renewal and that the renewal will evaluate newly listed species and climate‑change impacts.

Committee members asked how the division prioritizes acquisitions and what operating costs look like for newly acquired parcels. Bates said an initial investment commonly includes fencing (he estimated about $13 per linear foot for fencing materials) and that, in many cases, the marginal ongoing patrol and management costs are relatively small if the parcel connects to existing holdings.

Public commenters at the start of the meeting urged caution about prescribed burns in karst hill country and underscored the need to protect recharge areas. Elizabeth McGreevey told the committee she was concerned the Wildlands Management Plan overemphasizes frequent prescribed burns and urged a “holistic” approach that accounts for drought, flash floods and shallow soils. Bates and Cool acknowledged those concerns and said management is tailored by habitat type and informed by monitoring and peer‑reviewed research.

The committee did not take a formal action on the briefing. Staff requested feedback as they proceed with the permit renewal and future land‑acquisition planning.