TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Activists and landowners spoke out against a new development on the borders of Travis County and Hays County today that they say could threaten the springs that feed several of Texas' "crown jewels."
On Tuesday, representatives with Save the Pedernales and the Save Our Springs alliance hosted a press conference that highlighted the impact they believe Mirasol Springs will have on the water near Hamilton Pool and Reimers Ranch.
"There is simply not enough water here to accommodate their proposed development," said Bill Bunch with the Save Our Springs Alliance.
Mirasol Springs, a "conservation-scale" development, is in the permitting phase of its construction. The developers have filed for groundwater pumping and a river diversion. Landowners believe the amount of water that has been requested could cause the Pedernales River and local springs to dry up.
Bunch said that ahead of upcoming mediation between landowners and Mirasol Springs they are asking the developers to "simply step back and put their pumping requests on hold. and let's find a project that actually does protect our water, our creeks, our springs."
Speakers at the event included Bill Bunch with Save Our Springs Alliance, Nico Hauwert, an "expert witness" with the SOS, and landowners concerned about the impact of the development.
The developers have pledged to set the "gold standard" when it comes to conservation. Seventy percent of the property, which borders the Pedernales River, is placed in a conservation easement, restricting future development on that land.
Homeowners will also be restricted in various ways. Private wells will not be allowed on the property, impervious cover will be limited and pesticides will be banned.
“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, the group behind Mirasol Springs, at a hearing in January.
The property will consist of several dozen homes and cabins, a hotel and a field lab that will study wildlife and springs in the area. That lab will be operated by the University of Texas.
Landowners like Michelle Kucera are among those worried about the development. She said that the amount of water in the development's proposed plans will drain too much.
"It if these folks are saying that they're going to draw it down 9ft to 10ft in just a decade, then most of our wells in our neighborhood are going to go dry," Kucera said.
There are currently four permits that the landowners are targeting: two groundwater pumping permits, a wastewater permit and a river diversion permit.
"They want to draw down a river that's already in the drought status, down by four or more feet, which means basically this is all going to be dry land. We might be lucky to have a tiny little creek going through," Kucera said.
Several hearings have taken place since the plans for Mirasol Springs were announced, with people protesting that there is "not enough water" for the development and people whose families have lived in the area surrounding Hamilton Pool for decades.
In December, Travis County got involved in the debate over the development. Travis County Commissioner's Court issued an order apposing the permits filed by Clancy Utility Holdings LLC, the utility company established to manage water at Mirasol Springs.
"We decided to take action to oppose this development at the level of the groundwater Conservation District, doing the same in front of the TCEQ regarding wastewater," said Travis County Judge Andy Brown to KXAN on Monday.
"We don't want to see anything else that's going to take away from the water that is feeding Hamilton Pool."
Travis County has invested around $180 million, according to Judge Brown, to the purchase of conservation easements on the land surrounding Hamilton Pool.
According to Save Our Springs Staff Attorney Victoria Rose, the fate of the four permits will be decided within the next year. They may be approved, not issued, or issued with some restrictions.
"They'll face greater restrictions on the amount of water they can pump from the various sources, or they'll be required to treat the wastewater to more protective standards," Rose said.
The next mediation between the two parties is scheduled for the end of the month.
We reached out to Mirasol Springs for their comments on Tuesday's press conference, but have not heard back.
