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Fast Facts
Environmental Creek Assessments
Photo Gallery |
| Fast Facts |
| Population |
2000: 6,000
2030: 6,810 |
| Creek Length |
3 miles |
| Drainage Area |
1 square
mile |
| Drains To |
Colorado
River at Town Lake |
| Well Known Sites |
St. Edwards
University, Blunn Creek Wilderness Park, Stacy Pool, Travis
Heights Elementary School |
| Land Use |
Residential
Business
Civic
Parks
Roadways
Undeveloped |
30%
15 %
21 %
8 %
17 %
10 % |
Watershed Facts
- Blunn Creek, in South Austin, consistently
has better overall water quality than most urban creeks and
is a highly valued neighborhood resource.
- There are six springs which feed Blunn Creek.
- Stacy Pool is fed by well water warmed by
the heat of the earth.
- Blunn Creek usually becomes dry from July
to October, despite supplemental flow from springs located in
the Blunn Creek Nature Preserve and discharge from Stacy Pool.
- In response to citizen calls, investigators
find an average of 13 pollution spills each year; the most common
spill type is sewage, followed by sediment and petroleum.
- Nitrate levels in 2000 were consistently
high throughout the year; with the highest concentrations at
the Nature Preserve
- Fecal coliform concentrations were above
state standards at three of four sites in 2000*.(2001 Water
Watchdogs EII Phase 1 Watersheds Report (monitoring conducted
in 2000)
- Report on
Blunn Creek
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| Creek
Assessments
Environmental
| Index |
Score |
Category |
Notes |
| Overall
Score |
61 |
Fair |
Blunn ranks 26 out of
46 watersheds in overall quality |
Water
Chemistry |
49 |
Marginal |
Water quality is average,
conductivity is high |
Sediment
Quality |
71
|
Good |
PAHs are high, herbicides/pesticides
are very low, metals are very low |
| Recreation |
62 |
Fair |
During dry weather conditions,
bacteria is usually not a threat |
| Aesthetics |
74 |
Good |
Some litter is present,
no odor, algae cover is moderate, some of the creek bed is
dry |
| Habitat |
66 |
Good |
Increased sediment deposition |
| Aquatic
Life |
41 |
Marginal |
Benthic macroinvertebrate
community is marginal; diatom community is poor |
- Aesthetics scores declined in Blunn more
than other watersheds in the City.
- High nutrients and conductivity may be attributed
to groundwater impacts from springs and residential fertilizer
use.
- Staff research indicates the source
of high PAH levels may be parking lot sealants.
Learn
More
How to Help
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| Photo Gallery |
| |
|
| Blunn Creek at Willow Run
|
Blunn Creek at Riverside
Drive |
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