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A WILD IDEA – 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Water Quality Protection Lands
October 6, 2018 @ 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
From Austin Water –
Austin Water’s Wildland Conservation Division announces the 20th anniversary celebration of the Water Quality Protection Lands program on Saturday, October 6, 2018. Join us at 1 pm for the premiere of the new documentary, A Wild Idea, or come early for a day on the Wildlands.
Please note, the exact location of this event will not be provided to you until you RSVP via eventbrite.
About the Water Quality Protection Lands
In 1998, Austin voters approved bonds to purchase large tracts of conservation land to protect the source of the water that feeds Barton Springs. Today the Water Quality Protection Lands (WQPL) program protects more than 28,000 acres that are managed for the quality and quantity of water recharging the Edwards Aquifer, which provides water to both Barton Springs and to groundwater wells in Hays and Travis Counties.
The porous limestone rock of the Hill Country directs water quickly underground with little filtration, making these areas especially vulnerable to contaminants. These lands also serve as beneficial habitat for wildlife and native plants, also providing benefits to people ranging from recreational opportunities to carbon sequestration.
More about the event
Learn more about the history of the WQPL and the unique science of the sensitive Edwards Aquifer at the program’s upcoming 20th anniversary celebration on Saturday, October 6, 2018. This family-friendly event will kick off at 10 am with ecological restoration hikes around the 3,500+ acre Onion Creek property and features a crawl-through cave simulator to give you an idea of how water moves through the aquifer. Enjoy tacos and live music from local band Harvest Thieves, and then join the Wildland Conservation Division at 1 pm for the premiere of the new documentary about the history of the WQPL program, A Wild Idea. Event attendance is free, but registration is required: aWILDidea.eventbrite.com
10:00am-12:00pm
Guided hikes focused on restoration ecology with Water Quality Protection Lands staff. Additional registration required to attend hikes: www.austintexas.gov/wildlandevents
12:00-1:00pm
Tacos, live music from Harvest Thieves, crawl-through cave simulator
Share your memories – new or old – of the Water Quality Protection Lands in the wildland story corps booth
1:00-2:00pm – the main event!
Welcome and brief reflections on this program
Premiere of A Wild Idea, a 30-minute documentary film about the Water Quality Protection Lands
2:00-3:00pm
More time for music, activities, and tall tales
For twenty years, the Water Quality Protection Lands have protected and restored land, groundwater, working ranches, and open space to benefit Barton Springs. As our hill country community grows, these lands represent some of the last wild places for wildlife and people.