Environmental activists and landowners in central Texas are joining forces to protest a new development on the Travis and Hays County lines outside Austin. Representatives of “Save the Pedernales” and the “Save Our Springs” alliance are concerned about how the Mirasol Springs development will affect the water near Hamilton Pool and Reimers Ranch park.
The groups say there’s simply not enough water in the area to support the two attractions and the development project. The project is still in the permitting phase and developers have filed for groundwater pumping and river diversion permits.
The developers are pledging to set a “gold standard” of conservation and say they will not take any more water out of the aquifers than they put back in. Mirasol Springs will feature several dozen homes and cabins, a hotel and field lab that will study wildlife and the springs in the area that will be operated by the University of Texas.