Barton Springs Public Process

The following was posted in bartonsprings@yahoogroups.com on 7/25/2010 by Laurie dot Dries at ci dot austin dot tx dot us:

Hi all,
It’s been awhile since I posted anything and, given the the frustration evident in some recent posts, it seems time for a little update on the bypass.  I understand it may seem as if there hasn’t been any progress with the bypass, but, in fact, there has been quite a bit.  In May we did have a preferred repair design and had submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their review. However, at that time, some of you all (Dan, Peter, Roy, Elizabeth and others) contacted Watershed Protection Department director Victoria Li to express dissatisfaction with an aspect of the preferred design (increasing the thickness of the concrete slab that is both the roof of the bypass and the north sidewalk). In response, Ms. Li and City staff met with these folks and followed up on their suggestion that we get a second opinion on stability of the bypass and repair options.  The City has hired another engineering firm (AEComm) to acquire a second opinion.  One of the suggested repair options provided by this firm is to use small (3-4-inch diameter) metal cylindrical rock anchors to attache the bypass to the underlying bedrock.  To determine if using these anchors is possible, we are in the process of testing whether they will work on the bypass.  This examination consists of installing one anchor in three locations along the bypass and testing the resistance of each to movement.  If the underlying bedrock is strong enough and the anchors stay in place, we will be able to consider revising the previous repair design. Once AEComm has the results of the rock anchor testing, they will submit a final report to the City staff.  Once City staff have that report, there will be more information that can be sent out to you guys.

Review of the previous preferred option by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service halted when we decided to acquire a second opinion.  Once consideration of the second opinion is finished and a final design is chosen, my colleagues and I can begin to revise the assessment of biological effects on protected species and their habitat.  This biological assessment not only requires a final design, but also the detail and material methods to be used during construction as well as a numerical estimate of number of protected salamanders that may be harmed (known as “Take”). When this biological assessment is completed, it will be submitted to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for review. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has 135 days for this review, after which we can continue with scheduling repair.

The first step of testing occurred couple of Thursdays ago and the next step will occur one of the Thursdays in August (hopefully the first couple of weeks, depends on schedules of AEComm and their subcontractors). The testing will be conducted while the Pool is closed for cleaning, so it will not alter access for recreation. Of course, anything disturbed will be restored by the end of the testing day. Their will be little if any visible evidence that testing occurred.

As soon as I know the exact date, I will post it here.
Also, updates on the bypass, hydrodynamic modeling, and pilot projects will be presented at the next Parks and Environmental Boards Subcommittee meeting in August.

That’s all about bypass.  I will post a separate message regarding plants in the Springs…..

Cheers,
Laurie