With construction set to start this summer, the City of Austin is in the final planning stages of a project to improve Shoal Creek and make its greenbelt safer for cyclists and pedestrians.
The project aims to provide erosion protection in Shoal Creek, stabilizing about 3,000 feet of the creek; replace an outdated runoff system; restore native vegetation along the creek; and extend a paved bike trail that will go under one of the busiest intersections along the Shoal Creek greenbelt.
“The restoration will improve the health of Shoal Creek and the park user's experience with nature, recreation and mobility well into the future,” said Morgan S. Byars, P.E., the supervising engineer on the project.
The restoration project focuses on the part of Shoal Creek between 15th and 28th Streets - the stretch of the creek that lies roughly between UT and MOPAC - which was ranked a priority area by the Watershed Protection Department based on the frequency and severity of flooding, erosion and water quality, Byars said.
“The impacts of urbanization and long-term, extensive use haven taken their toll on the park,” he added. “In addition, since the area was dedicated parkland it allowed for ease of access and it was an opportunity to improve a public amenity.”
Part of the water quality and erosion problems are due to a decades-old runoff system that travels along and empties into Shoal Creek. As part of the restoration plan, 1,900 feet of the old system will be removed and replaced with a new system that runs along the creek but under Lamar Boulevard. The project will be completed in parts and officials estimate it will take a few months to complete, during which sections of Lamar will be narrowed to one lane going south. Officials are still trying to nail down complete timelines but estimate that construction beginning this summer will be complete by fall 2014.
Parts of the area will also be limited to pedestrians and cyclists, although Byars said there will be access routes around construction zones. After construction, some areas will be kept fenced off to allow for regrowth.
The new stormwater runoff system will better simulate nature – instead of simply transporting the water in a drain that empties by a large hole into the creek, the system will distribute the water into the meadow in a sort of irrigation system. Comparable to the natural process, water will then trickle through the meadow, dispersing, and eventually wind up in the creek.
Additionally, the project includes plans to stabilize 3,000 feet of eroding bank along the creek that Byars said will protect trees, bridges and trails being threatened by creek erosion. Officials also plan to restore native vegetation and trees and modify landscaping practices in environmentally sensitive areas – these efforts will also improve the quality of water entering the creek.
“The vegetation helps improve water quality through filtering, helps stabilize soils from erosion, provides wildlife habitat and shades the creek to provide cooler water temperature,” Byars said. “The environmental improvements are balanced with desired park uses to provide an overall benefit to the public and the land.”
When Chad Crager, who works with the City of Austin’s Neighborhood Connectivity Division, heard about the plans, he worked with the Watershed Protection Department to incorporate another addition – a hike and bike trail along the east side of the creek that goes under 24th Street.
“We’re turning the trail into a proper bikeway,” Crager said. “Rather than have 4 to 5 feet of sidewalk, it’ll be 12 feet of bike trail.”
Rose Goodwin, an Austin resident who walks along Shoal Creek, had a first look at the plans at an open house to solicit community feedback that the City of Austin held Jan. 30.
“This project is long overdue and will help make the area so much nicer,” she said. “This will be a beautification of the city.”
This isn’t the only restoration project the Watershed Protection Department has going – projects to improve Rosewood Park on Boggy Creek and the Shoal Creek Peninsula along Lady Bird Lake are currently underway, and coming projects include restoration at the JJ Seabrook Park on Tannehill Branch Creek. The WPD is also working with the Parks Department and neighborhood groups to modify landscaping efforts to establish “grow zones” in several areas, where a mix of taller vegetation (from "no-mow" areas) and trees can exist naturally and provide a host of benefits from better flood control to natural cooling to improved habitat for critters.
