On Dec. 20 Georgetown City Council approved an ordinance outlining ways the city and Williamson County will work together to ensure the protection of known Georgetown salamander habitats.

The ordinance, drafted in part by the Williamson County Conservation Foundation, was approved along with a water quality management plan to illustrate the city's commitment to habitat protection to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in exchange for the service not listing the salamanders as endangered.

The management plan may be discarded if the salamander species is listed as endangered by USFWS in February.

"The three aspects we're focused on are water quality, water quantity and site preservation," said Valerie Covey, Williamson County Precinct 3 commissioner and president of the WCCF board. "I believe our comprehensive conservation plan addresses all that."

Under the ordinance, springs that are known salamander habitats would be protected by an 80-meter red zone along the stream the spring flows into.

Red zones would be considered "no-disturbance areas," according to a news release. Maintenance of existing developments would be permitted, but no new construction could take place there.

In addition, a 300-meter orange zone would further protect the habitat. The "minimal disturbance area" would allow some parks, wastewater and residential development near the habitat, according to the news release.

Orange zones would not extend very far past major waterways, as the salamanders are not known to travel far from water above land, or into current developments, Covey said.

Spring and stream buffers are also included in the ordinance. Spring buffers would allow limited construction within 50 meters of a spring. Stream buffers would limit development and construction to wastewater lines, parks, utility line crossings, flood control measures and road crossings.

City Council members listened to opposition to the ordinance from city and county residents.

"We're given the ability to take the lesser of two evils. I'm feeling forced to do this because I can't imagine what the repercussions would be if we do not," Councilman Tommy Gonzalez said.

"If we do nothing, we have no control. I begrudgingly will support this motion because I can't imagine what will come down the pipe if we don't," Gonzalez said. "We've seen what happens in other communities; they can literally shut down the county. It's very, very frustrating to feel you don't have power."