Stillhouse
Spring Cleaning
The City of Austin Watershed
Protection Department and the Texas
Cooperative Extension launched a pilot program in 2001, called
Stillhouse Spring Cleaning, to improve water quality in the Stillhouse
Hollow area of Northwest Hills. Water quality data for the Stillhouse
Spring, which is located in the environmentally-sensitive recharge
zone of the Northern Edwards Aquifer, shows that nitrate levels
are some of the highest in the city. Since high nitrates are frequently associated with fertilizer
use, the program's goal is to educate the more than 250 residents
in the area on earth-wise fertilizing practices. Currently,
nitrates at Stillhouse average nearly 7 milligrams/liter. In
comparison, those at Barton Springs are at 1.5 mg/l. The Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality rates the level of concern
for aquatic life at 3.5. The goal of the program is to reduce
nitrates in the spring to 3.5 mg/l by 2007.
This targeted educational program is a follow-up to the Grow
Green program that is geared to all Austin area residents.
Stillhouse
Nitrate Sources (1.5mb pdf)
Stillhouse
Leachate Study (4mb pdf)
For more information about Stillhouse Spring Cleaning,
call Water
Quality Protection at (512) 974-2550.
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