Travis County enters fray over 'conservation-scale' development Mirasol Springs
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Conflict over a development aiming to set the gold standard for conservation in western Travis County is now drawing the attention of the Travis County Commissioner's Court.
Mirasol Springs, which will include dozens of homes and cottages, a hotel and a lab operated by the University of Texas, has seen pushback from nearby landowners since its announcement.
On Tuesday, members of Save The Pedernales and the Save Our Springs Alliance will host a press conference to go over potential impacts of the development and their concerns.
"Even the experts are saying it could severely affect the springs here that drive Hamilton Pool," said landowner Lew Adams alongside Hamilton Pool on Monday morning. Adams' property, the Roy Creek Canyon Reserve, is surrounded on three sides by the Mirasol Springs project.
In December, Travis County Commissioner's Court issued an order that opposed permits filed by Clancy Utility Holdings LLC, the group responsible for utilities on the Mirasol Springs property.
KXAN reached out to Mirasol Springs for a statement, and it declined to comment.
One of the concerns voiced by Travis County Judge Andy Brown, the impact the property could have on nearby Hill Country "jewel" Hamilton Pool. "
I don't want to see any developments that are going to be taking away water from what little we get here along Hamilton Creek and into Hamilton Pool," Brown said.
Mirasol Springs goals for conservation
In 2022, Jim Truitt, president of Mirasol Capital, the group behind Mirasol Springs, told KXAN they have taken extra steps to prevent the development from impacting nearby water resources.
The groups plans include:
- Septic systems and private wells won’t be built on the property
- Rainfall will be harvested, reducing runoff
- Herbicides and pesticides will be banned
- Limited development footprints on home plots
- Curbs, gutters and storm drains will not flow into the creeks
- Private wells will be banned
However, permits filed by Mirasol Springs include pulling water from the nearby Pedernales River and to draw groundwater.
"They want to suck out 108 acre feet of water out of the river, do a diversion, and that will leave us with no water," said Annie Borden, who lives across the Pedernales River from Mirasol Springs.
“Our goal if our permits are approved is to take no more water out of the aquifers than we put back in it,” said Steve Winn, founder and CEO of Mirasol Capital, at a hearing in January.
Protecting the land around Hamilton Pool
The group has taken steps to protect the land in different ways, including putting 70% of the property in a conservation easement. This would protect this land from future development.
Brown said Travis County has made a similar investment in the area around Hamilton Pool. "We've now invested something like $180 million in purchasing land and getting easements to stop development out here."
"It's a real jewel of Travis County. And we want to make sure that we're protecting it and doing everything that we can to make it so that our children and grandchildren can come swim at Hamilton Pool," Brown said.