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Fast Facts
Environmental Creek Assessments
Photo Gallery |
| Fast Facts |
| Population |
2000: 93,934
2030: 133,387 |
| Creek Length |
22.34 miles
|
| Drainage Area |
43.53 square
miles |
| Drains To |
Colorado
River below Town Lake |
| Well Known Sites |
Jourdan Bachman
Pioneer Farm, ACC Northridge Campus, LBJ, McNeil, and Connally
high Schools, Motorola, Walnut Creek Park, Scofield Farms,
North Austin Medical Center, Seton Northwest |
| Land Use |
Residential
Business
Civic
Parks
Roadways
Undeveloped |
25%
13%
3%
4%
15%
40% |
Watershed Facts
- This beautiful creek has five seeps and springs
and thirteen caves, and is home to the golden-cheeked warbler
and black -capped vireo
- The watershed crosses over from the Northern
Edwards Aquifer and flows east to the rich soils of the Blackland
Prairie region.
- The Walnut Creek greenbelt connects six major
corporations, a college campus, and 12 neighborhoods along a
14.3 mile route
- In response to citizen complaints, investigators
find and average of 72 pollution problems per year. Petroleum
is the most common problem, followed by sediment.
- Walnut is the largest developed watershed
in Austin and is characteristic of the transitional zone between
Edwards Plateau and Blackland Prairie ecoregions
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| Creek
Assessments
Environmental
| Index |
Score |
Category |
Notes |
| Overall
Score |
71
|
Good |
Walnut ranks 10 out of
46 watersheds in overall quality |
Water
Chemistry |
61 |
Fair |
Water quality is average
|
Sediment
Quality |
75 |
Good |
PAHs are high, herbicides/pesticides
are very low, metals are very low |
| Recreation |
77 |
Very Good |
During dry weather conditions,
bacteria is not a threat |
| Aesthetics |
76 |
Very
Good |
Some litter is present,
no odor, water is slightly cloudy |
| Habitat |
65 |
Good
|
Some embeddedness, some
channel alteration, bank vegetation is marginal |
| Aquatic
Life |
69 |
Good |
Benthic macroinvertebrate
community is very good; diatom community is fair |
- Contact recreation scores improved
in Walnut more than other watersheds in the City.
- Healthly aquatic life communities supported
by perennial flow.
- Portions of Walnut are listed on the State
Water Quality Inventory as being of concern for bacteria and
nutrient enrichment.
- Sediment deposition may result from increasing
development in combination with native soil characteristics.
Learn
More
How to Help
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| Photo Gallery |
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| Walnut Creek at the
SP Railroad Bridge |
Walnut Creek at Lamar Boulevard
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Click
here for more information about Walnut Creek History (City
of Austin is not responsible for any content on the linked page)
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