Watershed Facts

• In 1880, citizens were concerned about the laying of a sewage pipe which could pollute Town Lake
• Town Lake is actually a reservoir created in 1959 as a part of the Highland Lake chain on the Colorado River.
• Town Lake is used for energy, cooling water, drinking water, irrigation, recreation, fishing, aquatic life, and wildlife habitat
• One of worst fish kills occurred in Town lake in 1961 and was recorded in Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring”. Fish were killed through the 140 miles corridor from Austin to the Gulf of Mexico. It was determined later that a chemical company had washed pesticide containing DDT down a stormdrain in downtown Austin.
• A fish consumption advisory was removed in 1999
• There is a City ordinance against swimming in Town Lake, but this is based on dangerous currents, not water quality.
• Both Barton Springs and Cold Springs discharge into Town Lake.
• The west portion of the Town Lake watershed passes through the environmentally sensitive Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone where water travels through caves and sinkholes to “recharge” the aquifer.
• The Congress Avenue bridge with largest urban colony of Mexican Freetail bats
  

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Creek Assessments
Environmental

• Chlordane, although restricted by regulatory action, remains at relatively high concentrations in recent sediments in Town Lake.
• Concentrations of lead in the Town Lake core have decreased by about 70 percent since 1970
• Baseflow bacteria levels in Town Lake are usually well below contact recreation standards (200 col/100mL), but bacteria levels after storms are often elevated. Storm also bring in high levels of nutrients that can cause algae blooms during low flow periods.
• During winter Barton Spring provides much of the baseflow to Town Lake

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Photo Gallery
Town Lake east of downtown	Town Lake downtown
Town Lake west of downtown

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