The overview
On Oct. 8, Save Our Springs Alliance and Save the Pedernales gathered alongside residents at Milton Reimers Ranch Park to speak out publicly against the planned Mirasol Springs development and its proposed permitting for groundwater collection and diversion of water from the nearby Pedernales River.
Mirasol Springs would include dozens of new homes, a 73-room hotel, two restaurants and a research station for The University of Texas, according to previous reporting by Community Impact. The development is by real estate executive Steve Winn, who is the CEO of Mirasol Capital and founder of RealPage.
With plans for a 1,000-acre conservation easement, Mirasol Springs is described as a “conservation development” that will “preserve the natural landscape of the Texas Hill Country,” according to the development’s website. However, community members have raised concerns about development's impact on the surrounding area's water supply.
“We've seen a decline in the water in the 20 years we’ve been here,” Stagecoach Ranch resident Hank Kucera said. “We're concerned about all the water that's going to be pulled out. ... It's a great idea for this kind of resort, but I think it's the wrong location.”
The discussion
Bill Bunch, executive director of Save Our Springs, said the environmental protection group believes the development’s plans could negatively impact the availability and quality of water in the area amid drought conditions and reduced water flow.
“There's simply not enough water to accommodate this proposed project and protect neighbors well, protect the river and Hamilton Pool and three endangered species that would be harmed if this major project goes forward,” Bunch said.
Bunch was joined by environmental advocates and locals neighboring the Mirasol Springs property to ask that the Winn family, developers for the project, “step down and withdraw their pumping permit applications—or at least put them on hold.”
The group did not demand for the development to be canceled, but rather for the developers to find more sustainable ways of sourcing water.
“Let’s work together for a scaled back project that would protect this incredible river," Bunch said.
More details
Mirasol Springs is seeking permits to divert water from the Pedernales River and pump groundwater along with a wastewater permit.
In March, Mirasol spokesperson Scott Dunaway told Community Impact the development would primarily use surface water with groundwater as a secondary source that is expected to be used 20%-25% of the time. The development will obtain all of its water demand from the Lower Colorado River Authority, he said.
In addition to concerns about water collection both from surface water and groundwater, protesters are concerned about the implications of the development’s wastewater treatment plan. Bunch said the current plan would result in “nutrient pollution”—a buildup of phosphorus that could harm the surrounding environment, producing algal blooms in the nearby springs of Roy Creek Canyon that could consume oxygen and sunlight needed for underwater plants.
The proposed development would sit close to the spring-fed watershed at Hamilton Pool and Roy Creek Canyon, which has been a major concern for those protesting the development. Lew Adams, who owns a 50-acre reserve off Roy Creek Canyon, said he fears groundwater pumping for Mirasol Springs could dry up the natural springs on his property, which have already seen dwindling water levels over the last decade, he said.
Mirasol Springs plans to pursue minimal development in the Roy Creek area and monitor for water quality, according to documents provided by the development. The development will also require rainwater harvesting and prohibit landscaping fertilizers, chemicals and pesticides, according to Mirasol Springs information.
Stay tuned
Save Our Springs will enter into a mediation period with the developers Oct. 31 and is hoping to receive a settlement, Bunch said. Hearings for the water and wastewater permits are scheduled over the next few months, he said.
The organization would like to see Mirasol Springs reduce its groundwater pumping requests by 75%, he said.
“In another place and another time, this is a project that the environmental community would embrace because it is pretty low density. They are proposing to put a big chunk of the land under conservation, but this one location is so incredibly unique, and there's just not water to support what they're proposing,” Bunch said.
