17-member group to deal with concerns about Lake Austin's hydrilla problem, wave attenuation, shoreline erosion and noise
Led by Place 6 Appointee Linda Guerrero, the 17-member Lake Austin Task Force met Feb. 11 to discuss resolving some of the city's most difficult waterway issues.
The LATF, initiated by the City of Austin Waterfront Planning Advisory Board in 2010, was given one year from its first meeting in July to propose recommendations aimed at regulating lakefront development such as homes, businesses and docks. The WPAB's jurisdiction falls only within the waterfront overlay and does not extend to Lake Austin. Because of this, a local task force was needed to research improvements.
The task force is faced with protecting the environment within the lake watershed from issues such as hydrilla as well as providing for improved lake use and management.
To assess the current situation of the waterway, the task force spent a half day last fall touring Lake Austin shorelines and verifying critical environmental issues in the area.
Task force timeline
The task force formed three sub-committees responsible for researching distinct areas of concern to lake users and overseers: development compliance, lake use/management and water quality/environment. Each subcommittee is meeting to develop recommendations to present to the task force at-large beginning March 18. The entire task force is then expected to reconvene to review and discuss all of the proposals and finalize a concise report. Following the group's final report presentation planned for May 20, Austin City Council will be briefed on the task force's resolution and possibly adopt a new plan for the waterway.
At its first public input meeting Oct. 22, a cross-section of Austinites—lakeshore homeowners, boaters and wakeboarders—voiced their concerns over the lake's growing hydrilla problem as well as wave attenuation—or the reduction of waves—shoreline erosion and noise levels.
A second public meeting is tentatively slated for April 29.
These two meetings are relevant to committee members "to ensure that we have taken into account all of the concerns and issues of the public," Guerrero said.
"We have to collaborate with other departments and with the county and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service," Guerrero said. "It's a multi-complex issue."
Guerrero said that the procedures for managing and using Lake Austin have not been reviewed since the 1940's.
At the Feb. 11 lake use and management working group meeting led by board member Ellen Witt, Cody Jones, Texas Parks and Wildlife Law Enforcement Division assistant commander and staff attorney Boyd Kennedy responded to questions aimed at gaining a better understanding of the rights of boaters and lakeshore owners.
Committee member Kenneth Pfluger said that 80 percent of boats on Lake Austin are launched by visitors as opposed to lakeshore homeowners.
"You can't restrict the type or number of crafts on a public waterway," Kennedy said.
According to the LATF meeting schedule, the next meeting is set for March 18 at 3:30 p.m. in the board and commission meeting room, Austin City Hall, 301 W. Second St.
