 Rock Quarry
Area scientists had been eyeing the 85-acre Wenzel Tract for years, because this area contains an abandoned quarry uniquely suited for an innovative, large-scale aquifer enhancement project. In May 2002, Hill Country Conservancy acquired the property and embarked on a water conservation project that will use the quarry to capture and hold diverted storm flow until it can be absorbed or recharged into the aquifer.
Additional water will be "captured" for recharge by constructing a diversion channel from Little Bear Creek, which runs within 500 feet of the quarry rim. The channel will be engineered to capture a portion of the creek's stormwater runoff following heavy or prolonged rain. Dye tests in the area have concluded that this water, once in the aquifer, will linger up to a year, increasing aquifer storage and Barton Springs' discharge during times of drought or low flow.
The City of Austin provided $508,000 to help Hill Country Conservancy acquire the property with the understanding that HCC would seek private partners to begin the data collection and planning phase of the project. The opportunity to be associated with such an important project prompted the 3M Corporation to donate $20,000 in 2002 to help launch the research effort. Since that time additional grants have been received from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Texas Parks and Wildlife and several local engineering firms have contributed generous in-kind donations.
Landscape restoration planning is also a major component of the project. The opportunity to turn a blight into an oasis of natural plants and wildlife is what prompted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to partner with Hill Country Conservancy on the restoration and management of the site. As water seeps from cracks in the quarry walls and flows downslope, ephemeral wetlands are developing, benefiting migratory shorebirds and waterfowl. Upland restoration will be conducted to improve the quality of the runoff before it reaches the quarry.
Please check back for information about volunteer opportunities to help Hill Country Conservancy restore habitat around the site.
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