Led by Austin Water, these burns will happen on Water Quality Protection Lands throughout the county. The season for prescribed, or controlled, burns usually runs from November through late February.
“Prescribed fire is a key tool used to manage this land and improve the quality and quantity of groundwater entering the Edwards Aquifer,” said Matt Lore of the Austin Water Wildland Conservation Division in a statement.
Lore said it also promotes a vibrant ecosystem above the aquifer.
Prescribed burning is a management tool widely used by foresters, parks departments, ranchers and other landowners to manage excessive natural fuels under very specific and safe conditions, according to the Texas Department of Agriculture.
Most states have a large percentage of public land, which makes statewide coordinated prescribed burn plans feasible. In Texas, though, about 98% of the land is privately held.
What are the benefits?
Austin Water manages 30,000 acres of wild lands that provide groundwater to recharge the Edwards Aquifer and flow into Barton Springs and wells in Hays and Travis counties. In Austin, the savannah ecosystem is predominant. Burning excess growth from that area allows flowers and native grasses to flourish and improves water quality, Austin Water Communications Specialist Erik Luna said.
“Wildlife also benefits,” Luna said. “For example, grassland birds like quail and northern harrier hawks immediately benefit post-fire from newly open habitat for nesting and feeding.”
In the long term, prescribed burning will do more to improve habitat for deer and numerous other wildlife than any other practice, according to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department information.
It is also considered the cheapest, most effective habitat management technique for this region of Central Texas, according to the TPWD.
What safety measures are taken?
Crews clear control lines around the fire site, which in combination with natural boundaries such as waterways, create a contained area, Luna said. The fire is lit downwind, so any sparks are blown into areas that were already burned and do not have any fuel left. Luna said Austin Water takes weather conditions, including wind and humidity, into consideration to safely and effectively manage a burn.
The staff that participates is trained and must meet certain physical requirements, Luna said. Austin Water also coordinates with other entities, such as the Austin Fire Department.
How often are burns, and how much is burned?
As a general rule, about 20% of upland woodland sites should be burned during late November—after the first frost and leaf drop—through February on a rotational basis, according to the TPWD. About a third of native grasslands should be burned each year on a rotational basis.
Where will it happen?
Luna said so far there are no planned dates set due to conditions being unfavorable for these types of prescribed burns after the recent rain.
“However, our teams are looking at windows to conduct isolated burns of small brush piles, which can be conducted even in wet conditions,” Luna said. “These types of burns are extremely small in scale and help to reduce accumulations of dead and downed brush and tree limbs, improving control lines and making broadcast burns safer when initiated.”
Brush pile burning, he said, may occur throughout December and into January. Austin Water will notify the public before each prescribed burn event with maps of the specific locations.
