Protecting & Restoring Natural Environments
ENVIRONMENT
Restoring the Ecological Function of Country Club Creek Greenbelt
Existing Erosive Creek Conditions
In 2015, the City of Austin experienced two major flood events. The first occurred on Memorial Day weekend and the other during the week of Halloween. These floods destroyed a pedestrian bridge in Roy G. Guerrero Colorado River Metro Park and uprooted massive cottonwoods along the creek. Subsequent heavy rains have further eroded the creek. There have been many contributing factors towards this issue. One major factor was the re-routing of West Country Club Creek in 1976 to redirect its flow north of the study area. This new channel was engineered on sandy soils without a proper outlet at the Colorado River, which caused it to meander across the landscape in an uncontrolled manner. Since then, an increase in impervious cover, built before current environmental code, between 1976 and present time, along with unprecedented rainfall, has led to increased water volume during storm events. This has resulted in large volumes of water moving through newly established infrastructure that was not designed to withstand such large flows in this sandy and highly erodible landscape.
Proposed Resilient Creek with Increased Greenspace
The redesign should use a combination of structural elements to create a stable streambank that is resistant to internal and external forces with an emphasis on bank stabilization through use of natural materials. Techniques that provide flexibility in structure, aesthetic appeal, and habitat benefits will be prioritized over traditional methods.
The River Park Master Plan recognizes that a long-term commitment to protecting the natural setting of the development is essential to preserving it for future generations and that the degree of thoughtful management is directly related to the quality of its visitor experience.
A restored and ecologically functioning Country Club Creek will provide more usable parks, trails, and open space for the community to enjoy.