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Fast Facts
Environmental Creek Assessments
Photo Gallery |
| Fast Facts |
| Population |
2000: 16,951
2030: 19,337 |
| Creek Length |
4 miles
|
| Drainage Area |
3 square
miles |
| Drains To |
Colorado
River at Town Lake |
| Well Known Sites |
South Austin
Recreation Center, Zilker, Galindo, Becker Elementary Schools,
Porter Middle School, Auditorium Shores, Zilker neighborhood,
The Green Classroom, St. Davids South |
| Land Use |
Residential
Business
Civic
Parks
Roadways
Undeveloped |
50%
12%
6%
1%
21%
10% |
Watershed Facts
- West Bouldin Creek is named after James and
Molinda Bouldin who moved here in 1852. Their plantation stretched
from the Colorado River to William Cannon Boulevard with their
homestead at the current site of Becker Elementary. Their gristmill
was converted to a home at the corner of East Mary and Evergreen.
- West Bouldin Creek winds through South Austin
and enters Town Lake near Auditorium Shores.
- Shale deposits along portions of the creek
are a good place to find fossils of fish and other creatures.
- In response to citizen complaints, investigators
find an average of 27 pollution problems each year in West Bouldin
Creek. Sewage is the most common problem, followed by petroleum
and sediment.
- Although significantly larger than neighboring
East Bouldin Creek, West Bouldin maintains much less baseflow.
(2001 Water Watchdogs EII Phase 1 Watersheds Report (monitoring
conducted in 2000)
- The overall water quality is good for
a developed watershed*
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| Creek
Assessments
Environmental
| Index |
Score |
Category |
Notes |
| Overall
Score |
53
|
Fair |
West Bouldin ranks 44
out of 46 watersheds in overall quality |
Water
Chemistry |
54 |
Fair |
Water quality is average,
conductivity is high, suspended solids are high |
Sediment
Quality |
57 |
Fair |
PAHs are low, herbicides/pesticides
are high, metals are low |
| Recreation |
54 |
Fair |
During dry weather conditions,
bacteria is usually not a threat |
| Aesthetics |
69
|
Good |
Lots of litter present,
no odor, algae covers 10-20% of creek, some of the creek bed
is dry |
| Habitat |
53 |
Fair |
Some sediment deposition,
cover is insufficient, some channel alteration, bank stability
is marginal, bank vegetation is marginal, buffer zone is small
|
| Aquatic
Life |
28
|
Poor |
Benthic macroinvertebrate
community is bad; diatom community is poor |
- Limited baseflow and more undeveloped riparian
areas unusual for an urban watershed.
- Poor aquatic life communities due to lack
of baseflow.
- Preliminary Engineering for flood, erosion,
stream restoration, and water quality retrofits nearing completion.
Learn
More
How to Help
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| Photo Gallery |
| |
|
| West Bouldin Creek at Guerrero
Park |
West Bouldin Creek at Jewell
|
|
|
West Bouldin Creek
at Riverside Drive |
West Bouldin Creek
at South Austin Park |
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