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Environment

Parks board to take an (ever-so-brief) pause on Zilker Park plan

Given the sudden collapse of the Zilker Park Vision Plan earlier this month, it’s little surprise that the city’s Parks and Recreation Board has disbanded its working group for the plan. However, the board did so this week with a…

Council committee gets drought update

Austin Water Utility officials didn’t promise any miracles during a briefing on the city’s drought response and water supply at last week’s Austin Water Oversight Committee meeting. As of Aug. 14, the city was in exceptional drought conditions that pushed…

Austin Energy in talks to expand community solar program

As residents bemoan scorching temperatures, Austin Energy is looking to leverage the sunny weather’s benefits, with plans to ramp up the utility’s community solar program over the coming year. Customer Renewable Solutions Manager Tim Harvey stopped by last week’s Electric…

NOAA heat impact study puts faces to local effects of 2023 heat wave

Community organizations have been advocating for the city to direct more resources toward heat relief and climate emergency response. A 2021 study examining how extreme heat affects East Austin residents is giving more weight to that work. The study, titled…

City says Austin Energy’s budget reflects needs

All Austin Energy customers will see a small increase in their electric bills this fall – about $1.04 a month for the typical residential customer. According to the utility, its residential bills are still among the lowest in the state.…

Leslie Pool takes question of water extension requests off Council agenda

City Council Member Leslie Pool notified her colleagues that she has withdrawn her request that the group consider a controversial item related to the extension of water and wastewater service in the city’s Drinking Water Protection Zone and outside the…

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Austin announces new water restrictions on everything from lawns to dining out

With water levels continuing to drop in the Highland Lakes reservoirs that supply Austin, the city announced Stage 2 water restrictions to take effect Tuesday. Even if you don’t have a lawn or don’t bother watering the lawn you have,…

Upgrades coming to a trail near East Riverside neighborhood

One of the last segments to make a continuous trail from Lady Bird Lake to Mabel Davis Park is another step closer to becoming a reality. The Planning Commission last week approved an environmental variance for construction work expected to…

A ‘climate feedback loop’: Why Austin is locked in one of its hottest summers ever

This summer has been among the hottest and hardest in memory. Austin broke an all-time heat index record in June when the “feels like” temperature topped off at 118 degrees. Then, we had our hottest July ever recorded. This week, only halfway through…

Residents concerned proposed private dam on South Llano River could affect Austin's drinking water supply

Residents of Llano and Edwards counties are fighting a pending Texas Commission on Environmental Quality permit that could have implications on Austin’s drinking water supply. An application filed by Waterstone Creek LLC seeks authorization to “construct and maintain a dam…

Austin's Blackland Prairie reforestation project underway

The work to restore Austin’s heavily degraded Blackland Prairie floodplain has begun with the help of local urban forestry nonprofit TreeFolks. The Environmental Commission heard an update on the results of the city’s Blackland Prairie ecoregion study at its regular…

City Council puts controversial Zilker Park Vision Plan on hold

City Council will not move forward this month with a controversial plan to revamp Zilker Park, Mayor Kirk Watson said Monday. The announcement comes after Council members Paige Ellis, Ryan Alter and Zo Qadri released a joint statement saying that…

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