Current Projects at the Reach

There are three big projects that are happening at the Reach that neighbors ought to be aware of:

Habitat Restoration Project Phase I

This project has been in process now for a couple of years. It covers the upper northern and western portion of the greenbelt from around the intersection of Half Penny and Sycamore northwest to where the creek crosses under Cherrywood. We are adopting Watershed Protection’s “Grow Zone” policy, which focuses on not mowing around Austin waterways in order to decrease runoff, improve wildlife habitat and decrease water pollution. In concert with Watershed and other neighbors and community groups, FLWR has planted more than 100 trees and shrubs and seeded the entire Phase I area with native grasses and perennials, such as sideoats grama (the Texas state grass) and antelope horns. There is a temporary watering system installed that has been helping the new plantings get off to a good start. It will be removed when Phase II begins (see below).

Wastewater Line Replacement

This project extends beyond the Reach greenbelt to proximal streets. It is a big project to replace aging wastewater lines involving Public Works, Watershed and Water Utility. There are three places where the wastewater lines cross the creek that are exposed to the elements. These will be removed. Other bank stabilization and tree removal will also occur to accommodate this necessary project. The project will run from Summer 2013 - Spring 2014, and will mess up our streets to be sure. This project will impact the lower south-eastern part of the greenbelt, from about Half Penny southeast to 38.5 street. (In other words, the Phase II area, see below.)

Habitat Restoration Project Phase II

This is the next phase of habitat restoration that will happen in the lower southeast portion of the greenbelt, and will begin after the wastewater line replacement project (see above). We are still in the planning phase for this restoration, but it will look much like Phase I, with tree and shrub plantings, seeding, and temporary irrigation.

Meanwhile, Upstream...

There is a separate bank stabilization project that is being planned on the creek near Wilshire Blvd. Stay tuned for more info.

Maintenance Plan

Here's the city's maintenance map for the Reach, divided into the upper portion and lower portion. The red and black striped area denotes mowing of a 4 foot perimeter. The orange stripes are paths mown 3-4 feet wide. Click on the images below to enlarge.

Recent Views of the Reach

Great photos of the Reach this spring provided by neighbor Vince. The next few years at the Reach will be the most challenging - and rewarding - times during the restoration process. The challenging part is living with the very tall grasses (most non-native) that are loving the rain and the fact that the Reach is no longer being mown.

The rewarding part is all of the amazing wildflowers, trees and shrubs that are making an appearance, many of them seeding by neighbors years ago are now thriving because there is no mowing. The evolution begins. In the photo above, for example, you can see firewheel (Indian blanket), Engelmann's daisy, horsemint, and coneflower.

Those tall grasses will likely decline in abundance as more natives take over and as trees grow and create shade. For now, we must be patient, and perhaps find beauty in them as well!

Seed Sharing

There is an exciting to development and potential future partnership that is shaping up at the Willowbrook Reach. Yesterday, a few of us met with Minnette Marr from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Minnette is a plant biologist and seed conservationist, and collects seeds from native plants from around Central Texas.

Minnette has begun the process of providing us with wild, native seeds that have been collected from just around Central Texas - from within our "seed shed" - that are appropriate for a habitat like the Reach. Some of them are even relatively rare plants.

The Wildflower Center has an enormous bank of native seeds, and Minnette said they would like to begin sharing those with groups like ours that are committed to restoring native plants back to their place within our ecosystems. This is just a very beginning.

We will likely spread a few of these seeds on our forthcoming workday and Clean Sweep Day, Apr 8.

This is very exciting, and another step forward in our mission to bring even greater numbers of pollinators, birds, flowers and native fruits and plants to our neighborhood!

invasives: AYW Removes Ligustrum and Chinaberry

Austin Youth Works was out yesterday at the Reach helping to further an invasive plant removal project that we began in December at our workday. They cut down a number of ligustrum trees and seedlines, some chinaberry and others, including pyracantha (I think).

We will always be dealing with these non-native invasive species, but removing them now provides a good opportunity to replace them with similar natives. Cherry laurel, for example, is a good native alternative to ligustrum, since it provides winter berries for birds and its evergreen nature is good habitat.

So, you'll see some piles of plants that were cut down until they are removed by the City, and perhaps that the Reach looks a bit different without those evergreens dotting the banks...for now, that is...

Workday Photos

We had a fantastic turnout for the workday on Saturday, and accomplished many of the goals, from mulching trees and trails to removal of invasive species. Special thanks to all of those who came to lend a hand, including the I-CERV youth group and Keep Austin Beautiful (for lending us tools).

Neighbor Dolly snapped some great photos of the event:

Workday and Coffee Clutch This Saturday!!

There's a Coffee Clutch and Workday this Saturday, Dec. 18 at the Willowbrook Reach! Come meet your neighbors and see what is happening down at our neighborhood green belt.

Coffee and pastries will be on sale courtesy of Elixer Coffee! (And you won't have to walk all the way up to Mueller to get some for this one day only.)

When: Saturday December 18th. 9:00-1:00

Where: The general plan is to meet at Sycamore and Half Penny to sign in and divide up into work teams. If you don't feel like working, just come and visit.

What we're doing: Spreading mulch on newly planted trees and shrubs and on the trail. Removing invasive trees, like ligustrum.

What to Bring: Wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes (especially hard tine rakes), five gallon buckets. Rubber boots are recommended for those doing invasive plant removal and creek clean up. Everyone one else dress for a cool mourning warming later in the day.

Details: There will be two to four piles of mulch and two groups of loaders and wheel borrowers. Once enough piles of mulch are dumped, teams for raking will go where needed. Smaller plants will be mulched by hand with five gallon buckets. With enough people the Butterfly Garden will be mulched as well.

The number of volunteers will determine how much of the trail is mulched. If we have a really good turn out then some creek clean up will be done as well.

Staryn Wagner and Mark Smolen will head up the invasive plant removal. Ligustrum and Japanese Privet will be the main targets as they are still in leaf. Some additional plants were marked with green paint to be removed as well. Weed wrenches will be used wherever practical as they can remove the roots on smaller shrubs and trees. Weed wrenching will be followed up with loppers and hand saws.

There will be some seed to be spread towards the end of the day, a perfect exercise for kids!

We will have some extra tools so come anyway even if you do not have any tools. If you bring tools please mark them.

If someone has a medium sized grill that they could bring then David Boston has said he'll provide the fixings for making sausage wraps for the noon to one phases of the workday. Also it would be nice to take the chill off in the mourning.

We hope to see you there, and many thanks to David Boston for organizing this huge effort.

Joe Pearce's New Live Oak

David Boston and a representative from Home Depot unload this huge 45 gallon live oak tree in front of Joe Pearce's house. Home Depot graciously donated the tree for our Reach, and we planted it for Joe, a neighbor who has lived by the Reach and planted many trees there over the years

Plant List is Here

The plant list is here! These are the plants that American Youth Works will be planting at the end of the month along the upper portion of the greenbelt. All natives, all great for wildlife and humans!

Large-growing Trees

Mexican Sycamore
Pecan
Cedar Elm
Live Oak
Chinquapin Oak
Bur Oak
Huisache
Bald Cypress
Carolina Buckthorn

Small-growing Trees

Possumhaw Holly
Yaupon Holly
Hop Tree
Mexican Plum
Rusty Blackhaw Viburnum
Redbud
Texas Persimon
Texas Mountain Laurel

Shrubbier Stuff

American Beautyberry
Coralberry
Fragrant Mimosa
Flameleaf Sumac
Fragrant Sumac
Spineless Prickly Pear
Chile Petin

Restoration Begins Last Week of September

Habitat restoration begins!!

The Willowbrook Reach is about to get its first installment of trees, shrubs and seeds to begin the habitat restoration process. Beginning on Sept 27 2010 and lasting through Oct 8 (two weeks), the Watershed Protection Department and Austin Youth Works will begin planting native shrubs and trees along the upper 1/3 of the Reach. This coincides roughly with the area from the the intersection of Half Penny and Sycamore upstream to Cherrywood. The restoration project will occur on both sides of the greenbelt. We're calling this Phase I of the restoration.

WPD will reseed the entire Phase I area with native wildflowers and grasses. And, they will be installing a temporary sprinkler system (temporary meaning two to three years) to water all these new plants. Watering will occur in the wee hours of the morning, probably from 2 - 5 am in order to minimize evaporation and interference with human activities (like enjoying the Reach). Sprinklers will probably cycle on in intervals of about 5 minutes on and 15 minutes off. This is so no water builds up and causes erosion. Small amounts of water will be applied in pulses over the several hour period.

The lower 2/3 of the Reach will continue to be mown 2-3 times per year (details are still being worked out) from the street to the trail. So they will come and mow that area during this time as well. (So long Johnson grass!)

A plan is emerging!

CLICK HERE to view a map of the Phase I Restoration planting and mowing regime.

Legend for the map above:

• PZ1 - ground cover, upper canopy
• PZ2 - ground cover, understory, upper canopy
• PZ3 - riparian
• PZ4 - ground cover
• PZ5 - ground cover, understory

WPD has not yet generated plant lists for these zones, but they are on the way.

Wastewater Plan Option 4 Supported by FLWR/CNA

Neighbors,

We had a very informative meeting last night with City reps about the various wastewater pipe realignment proposals for the Willowbrook Reach-Sycamore-Willowbrook St. area. (http://flwr.blogspot.com/2010/07/wasterwater-relocation-your-input.html)

Here's a summary of what we learned:

- Alternative 3 is not an option, and has been pulled off the table.
- Alternative 1 does not have any support and was voted out.
- Alternative 2 would result in a pipe crossing the creek that is about 6 inches above the bottom of the creek.
- Alternative 4 would result in a pipe crossing the creek that is about 2 feet above the bottom of the creek.
- In either 2 or 4, the pipe will be encased in cement and covered in rocks ("rip rap") to look more natural. There will be a gentle slope over the pipe, so wildlife will still have the ability to move up and down stream.
- The height of the reinforced pipe in Alternative 4 could result in a deeper pool. It's possible that this kind of crossing will not be permitted after review, because the height could effect water flow too greatly for Watershed to approve of the crossing.

At our meeting with City representatives last night, a motion was issued that the we support Alternative 4, and that we will support Alternative 2 if Alternative 4 is not viable due to permitting issues. The vote at the meeting was unanimous in support of this recommendation, with 9 attendees and voters. The results from the online survey also largely support this view. A majority of respondents (61%) supported either Alternative 2 or 4.

The Steering Committee will take up this issue tomorrow (Wed), and it will be presented again at next Wednesday CNA Quarterly General Meeting. City representatives will be on hand. If you have any detailed questions about any of the above, I recommend that you attend the Cherrywood Quarterly!

UPDATE: The CNA also expressed support for Alternative 4 at the neighborhood quarterly meeting.