Meet the Contractor Meeting: June 5, 2013

City of Austin reps will be on hand to discuss and answer questions about the forthcoming wastewater pipe replacement project that is scheduled to happen between July 2013 and April 2014.

When:    Wed Jun 5, 2013 7pm – 8pm (CDT)
Where:    Genesis Presbyterian Church - 1507 Wilshire Blvd

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.

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.

Wasterwater Relocation: Four Alternative Plans

The City of Austin will be replacing 3 exposed wastewater pipes that cross over the Willowbrook Reach, which runs along Willowbrook and Sycamore streets. Members of the neighborhood met recently with CoA staff to view 4 alternative designs for the wastewater pipe relocation.

Summary of the plans
Each of the four alternatives results in one new wastewater pipe crossing the creek, generally at a very low point. The location of the crossing differs with each alternative. There is an option for a pedestrian bridge that crosses the creek. You should be aware that the bridge cannot be placed inside the 100 year floodplain, and it will require ADA accessible entrance and exit points (at present, this is designed to be cement sidewalks, but CoA staff implies this could be negotiable).

Two of the alternatives call for relocating the wasterwater pipes within the greenbelt itself. The other two alternatives propose relocating the wastewater pipes below the surface of the streets. The costs of the alternatives are largely dependent on whether the relocation occurs within the greenbelt (cheaper) versus within the street (more expensive). Any new manhole covers in the greenbelt will be slightly above grade by a few inches.

By clicking on the links below, you can check out the 4 alternatives. These plans show the relocated wastewater pipes as dark lines, new manhole covers as circles and the old lines as dashed grey.

• Alternative 1) Pipe relocation within greenbelt with one pipe crossing at southernmost bend in the creek. Requires trenching in greenbelt. Cost: $685,000. View the Alternative 1 plan.
• Alternative 2) Pipe relocation within the street with pipe crossing at the southernmost bend in the creek. Requires street construction. Cost: $982,000. View the Alternative 2 plan.
• Alternative 3) Pipe relocation within the greenbelt with pipe crossing upstream off Sycamore Dr. Requires trenching in greenbelt. This alternative has been scoped out with a pedestrian bridge. But a ped bridge could be possible with any alternative. Cost: $627,000. Bridge: $137,000. View the Alternative 3 plan.
• Alternative 4) Pipe relocation in the street with one pipe crossing at the bottom of the greenbelt near 38.5 Street and Brookview. Requires street construction. Cost: $1,023,000. View the Alternative 4 plan.

Read the full proposal document that outlines the details and pros and cons of each plan.

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK: Click here to take a very short online survey that will help us know your preferred plan.

Don't worry, the survey is totally anonymous. Representatives from the CNA and FLWR will compile these results, and use this information to begin to make a recommendation on our preferred alternative to the City. We meet with the city every second Tuesday of the month (next meeting: August 10, 6:30pm) at Cherrywood Coffeehouse, so please come to those meetings and have your voice heard as well!

Wasterwater Relocation: SURVEY

This survey has been closed. Original questions follow.

Willowbrook Reach - Wastewater Line Relocation Survey

The City of Austin (COA) must relocate the wastewater lines that are currently exposed at three stream crossing locations along the Willowbrook Reach. At the request of COA, Raymond Chan & Associates prepared preliminary designs of FOUR wastewater relocation alternatives. Please review the four alternatives and the pros and cons of each at URL before participating in this survey. Please be aware that all four alternatives result in one wastewater line crossing the creek, rather than three.

NOTE: The information we collect from this survey will be used to support ONE of these alternatives. The COA will move forward with the recommendation that we make as a neighborhood.

YOUR INPUT IS EXTREMELY VALUABLE! THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION!
* Required

1) Two of the alternative designs call for placing the new wasterwater lines within the Reach greenbelt. This would require trenching of the greenbelt itself. These two options are cheaper. *

• I would support these option, even though it will require trenching and potential tree removal in the Reach.
• I do not support these options.

2) Two of the alternatives call for placing the new wasterwater lines under Willowbrook and Sycamore streets, meaning the COA would tear up the streets. These two options are more expensive. *

• I support these options, even though there may be inconvenience due to greater street work.
• I do not support these options.

3) Would you support the construction of a pedestrian bridge on over the Reach? * Note: It's possible that a bridge could be build over the Reach. This bridge must be constructed outside of the 100 year floodplain, and may require ADA accessible entrance sidewalks. These qualities may be negotiable.

• I support the idea of a bridge.
• I do not support the idea of a bridge.

4) Please indicate which alternative you prefer. *

• Alternative 1. Pipe relocation in greenbelt with one pipe crossing at southernmost bend in the creek.
• Alternative 2. Pipe relocation in the street with pipe crossing at the southernmost bend in the creek.
• Alternative 3. Pipe relocation within the greenbelt with pipe crossing upstream off Sycamore Dr. (This alternative has been scoped out with a pedestrian bridge.)
• Alternative 4. Pipe relocation in the streets with one pipe crossing at the bottom of the greenbelt near 38.5 Street and Brookview.

Great News: City Project Will Not Proceed As Planned

Neighborhood representatives met with City Staff (Mike Kelly, Chris Calvery, George Walker, Mateo Scoggins, and Roxanne Jackson) last night to discuss the planned Watershed Department project.

The City team explained that the Reach - through the determined efforts of neighbors and Nature over the years - is already much more healthy that it was when they originally assessed it in 1997. After performing some comparative measurements and a new assessment, they also found that very little to no new erosion has occurred since 1997. (Pictures and more to come soon.)

To make a long story short, the City Staff reassessed the condition of the creek and have determined that there's no need to proceed with the current plan!

That is not the end of the story, of course!

The two waste water lines crossing the creek must be dealt with, and there are other possible outcomes for the project. City Staff will be present at the CNA Quarterly on May 19 to update the hood. That will also officially begin our NEW process for looking at changes to the Reach, primarily related to the waste water lines. The neighborhood will begin meeting with the City on a monthly basis in July to talk about how they will deal with the waster water lines, how we might decrease pollution in the creek my installing rainwater swales, how we might increase wildlife habitat, and etc.

There will be lots of opportunity for neighborhood involvement and input, and I'm positive that this new direction will be very good for the Reach!

Thanks to the folks who attended last nights meeting and thanks to the City Staff for their willingness to reassess their proposed plan and stop it from moving forward.

City Plans Major Project for Neighborhood Greenbelt

The city's Watershed Protection department has proposed a major project that will alter the environment on the Willowbrook Reach, our large neighborhood greenbelt that snakes along the Upper Boggy Creek from Cherrywood Rd. to 38 1/2 Street.

The Reach is beloved by neighbors, herons, turtles, frogs, butterflies and many more. The property is home to over 100 trees, wildflowers (many blooming now), fossils, yellow-crowned night herons, Coopers hawks, and myriad other birds, insects, fish and amphibians. It's also where we neighbors go to walk our dogs, run for exercise, and generally find relief from our urban environment. It's an oasis, and if you haven't discovered it yet, I highly recommend walking down and checking it out.

Mike Kelly, project leader with the Watershed department, says that his department assessed conditions at the Reach 8 or 9 years ago. At the time, they found our greenbelt with steeply eroding banks, exposed water and wastewater lines, and potential flooding dangers, among other issues. That assessment formed the basis for funding that was approved by City of Austin voters in the 2006 Bond Election for projects on the Upper Boggy Creek, including the Willowbrook Reach.

The City has now been working on the project for 3 years with contracted engineers and landscape architects. The Friends and Lovers of Willowbrook Reach (FLWR) recently learned that the design phase of the Watershed project is now 90% complete.

City Watershed Project: Overview

Here's a summary and history of the City of Austin Watershed Protection and Development Review's (WPDR) plans (or what I know of them) for the Willowbrook Reach.

• In 2007, FLWR received a grant from Keep Austin Beautiful for plants and a butterfly garden. As part of this process, we learned that WPDR had plans to work on the reach.
• WPDR had decided to deal with the erosion, flood control and water movement issues in the Reach. Another goal of their work is to deal with the exposed water and sewer pipes crossing the Reach.
• Over the subsequent two years, WPDR contracted engineers and landscape architects to draw up plans for the Reach Project. WPDR's Mike Kelly is the overall project lead and George Walker is the project manager.
  
• In September 2009, WPDR presented preliminary plans for their project at a meeting with the greater Rosewood neighborhood association. (This is because they are also planning to do similar work on a downstream section of Boggy Creek at Rosewood Park.) Members of FLWR were present at the meeting. We also learned at that time from Christina Calvery at Public Works that they will be updating the water infrastructure underneath E. 40th and Willowbrook Reach streets as well.
• Preliminary plans call for: small realignments of the creek bed from Cherrywood Road to 381/2 Street. The creek bed will be raised. All vegetation will be cleared from the creek and replanted with native shrubs and perennials. The banks of the creek will be widened. New trees will be planted on the outskirts of the Reach near the streets. New systems will be put in place for filtering runoff from the streets. At this time, there are no immediate plans for work upstream of Cherrywood Rd or downstream from 381/2 (until you get to Rosewood Park). No other projects are in the budget.
  

Willowbrook Reach Update: July 2008

Plants

It was a banner year for wildflowers, like horsemint, bluebonnets, and Indian blanket, at the Reach. The City mowers left several large areas of flowers and grass unmown, which has allowed for the plants to reach maturity and set seed for next year. You can see several of these unmown patches now, with brown stems and seed heads waving in the hot summer wind.

As we all know too well, when it rains it pours and when it doesn't, it's as dry as a bone. This year, most everything is brown and crackly at the Reach, but look close and you'll still see many adapted perennials and annuals making a go of it. Mexican petunia is blooming heavily right now, as is silverleaf nightshade. The dry weather has served as a bit of a control for our bad infestation of Johnson grass, but you can still see it sending up flowers and seeding even in our harshest of times. Proof that this plant is a survivor.

The 34 trees we planted this spring are having various levels of success. Some, especially those that generous people have adopted and are watering regularly, are doing great. In particular, check out Yin and Yang--two yaupons on the south side that are happy enough to be producing berries for the winter birds. The Mexican plums on that side of the Reach are also doing great. Trees on the north side aren't faring as well. (If you have the gumption, please help us water these trees!)

Plants in the new butterfly garden are doing fabulously. Blooming now are: purple coneflowers, blackfoot daisy, mistflower, tropical milkweed, woolly ironweed, lantana and nightshade. We had planned this garden to be "native plants only," but someone snuck in some cosmos. Perhaps we should thank them! The cosmos are providing a great amount of color to the garden and probably nectar too (see below).

Animals

Speaking of the butterfly garden, you may have noticed that there are very few butterflies this year, especially compared to last year's bumper crop. Last year you couldn't spit without hitting a swallowtail. I hate to speculate too much, but I imagine this has something to do with the hot, dry temperatures. It's possible that there aren't as many host and nectar plants available for them. Still, there are some butterflies to be seen, so keep an eye out. Recent sitings include long-tailed skippers.

On Monday morning, I watched two enormous snapping turtles mating about mid-Reach. I've seen baby turtles for two springs in a row, and this fully confirms that we have at least one breeding pair of snappers on the Reach, if not more. It would be interesting to know where the females are laying their eggs.

On a sadder note, I saw one snapping turtle in the Bathtub that has gone on to the Great Creek in the Sky.

Adult and juvenile yellow-crowned night herons continue to feed at the Reach. Be careful when driving at night! A heron was recently spotted ambling slowly across Cherrywood Rd. Other birds around include grackles, starlings, cardinals, blue jays, swallows, mockingbirds and more.

A neighbor up the creek recently spotted a large beautiful, perfectly harmless Texas rat snake crossing Wilshire at the bridge over the creek.

Humans

The City of Austin Watershed Department is in recon phase for their rather large project to "re-design" the creek bed at the Reach. They recently identified a design and engineering firm to draw up plans, and you may have seen them wandering the creek, marking trees and painting stripes. They've assured me that they will include the neighborhood as part of the design process, and I'll let everyone know what I know as soon as I know.

Trash continues to be a problem at the Reach, particularly along 38.5 street. Please offer your hand to nature and the neighborhood by picking up stray garbage and not littering.

The Reach is a wonderful place for dogs, but not for dog poop! Remember that this poop holds billions of E. coli bacteria (among other things) and that those bacteria get washed into our creek and into our drinking water. Gross, right? It's interesting to consider what our neighborhood might be like if we weren't here. Surely, there would be a healthy population of coyotes and foxes scatting about with no one to pick up after them (aside from dung beetles, which can do an amazing job of clearing away animal scat). In fact, the poop could be good fertilizer. So, if poop's natural, why pick it up and stick in an unnatural plastic bag? The answer is one of scale and abundance. Natural populations of coyotes and foxes would not be anywhere near as dense as our dog (and feral cat) populations. Their numbers would be lower and their range would be much larger. In an urban ecosystem, we squeeze a lot into a little.

The Reach provides a great "air conditioning" service in a hot City with its urban heat island. Take a walk down by the creek in the early evening and you can feel the cool air seeping out from the creek, especially those places with a high density of trees and underground springs. A reminder of the power of small amounts of water and nature in a city.

Remember, nature happens everywhere!