Riparian Restoration Projects

Seiders Springs Park

In support of the Shoal Creek Watershed Action Plan, Shoal Creek Conservancy is conducting a riparian restoration project in Seiders Springs Park to address common issues seen along Shoal Creek and throughout the watershed. Ecological restoration along the creek expands and improves its riparian buffer zones which helps to improve water quality, halt erosion, and restore native habitat. From September 2021 to May 2022, this project began in partnership with the Junior League of Austin, but after June 2022 is supported by public volunteer workdays.

Goals

  • Reduce erosion by mulching & seeding bare soil and installing a stilling basin 
  • Remove/girdle invasive species, including elephant ear, Johnson grass, and Ligustrum
  • Increase species diversity by planting Texas natives (sedges, saplings, and seedballs)

Efforts & Progress

9.18.21 Ligustrum girdling workday.

10.30.21 Elephant ear & Johnson grass removal workday. Johnson grass was replaced with native gamma grass and switch grass.

11.13.21  Elephant ear removal followed by planting Emory sedge, jumping sedge, spikerush, horsetail reed, and blue mistflower. We will continue to add native species to this site and manage any elephant ear that re-sprouts.

BEFORE
AFTER
4.23.22 Ligustrum girdling and elephant ear and Johnson grass removal workday. Planted native sedges, reeds, and forbs.
5.28.22 Ligustrum girdling and elephant ear and Johnson grass removal workday.
7.22.22 Elephant ear removal and dispersed native seed balls.
8.4.22 Elephant ear removal workday.
11.5.22 Planted five Texas native trees (Mexican Buckeye, Roughleaf Dogwood, and Live Oak) to increase species diversity, improve habitat, and assist in hillside stabilization. Continued removing elephant ear that has re-sprouted.
2.19.23 Removed invasive plants and replaced with native Emory sedge.
5.7.23 Removed invasive elephant ear and planted native Emory sedge in the perennial wetland around Seiders Springs, and girdled invasive ligustrum trees on the adjacent hillside.

7.30.23 Girdled invasive ligustrum trees and removed invasive elephant ear.

11.4.23 Made and dispersed over 300 native see balls!

 

Duncan Park/10th Street

In support of the Shoal Creek Watershed Action Plan, Shoal Creek Conservancy is conducting a riparian restoration project north of Duncan Park, near 10th Street.

Efforts & Progress

10.24.22-10.28.22 Shoal Creek Conservancy contracted with Texas Conservation Corps to remove invasive giant cane and revegetate bare creek bank with native species, including switchgrass, inland sea oats, maximilian sunflower, Turk’s cap, elbowbush, horseherb, and frogfruit. These plants create a healthy wildlife habitat and assist in stabilizing the streambank. TXCC also constructed a rock barrier to help delineate the walking path from the planting area.

6.26.23-6.30.23 Shoal Creek Conservancy contracted with Environmental Survey Consulting (ESC) to manage invasive Arundo. Per Texas Parks & Wildlife, giant reed is a highly invasive, non-native grass with the potential to significantly damage the health of streams and rivers by affecting water quality and quantity, worsening flooding, displacing native plants, destabilizing banks, contributing to erosion, increasing fire risk, and harboring invasive insects. ESC cut and applied aquatic-approved herbicide treatment, as outlined by Austin’s Watershed Protection Department, to large stands of Arundo at the 10th street restoration site.

Stand of invasive Arundo located along the banks of Shoal Creek at 10th Street. October 2022.

 

 

Gaston Ave & Shoal Creek Blvd

In collaboration with Pease Park Conservancy and the Austin Watershed Protection Department, Shoal Creek Conservancy is assisting in conducting riparian restoration activities in the Gaston Green area of Pease Park near Gaston Avenue and Shoal Creek Blvd. This revegetation work is helping to reclaim space for Shoal Creek’s native ecology in an area where Pease Park Conservancy and Texas Conservation Corps have worked to remove invasive ligustrum trees.

Efforts & Progress

10.14.22 Spread 25 gallons of native seed and planted native shrubs to improve and expand the riparian buffer along Shoal Creek.

12.3.22 Planted approximately 85 native plants and grasses to add diversity and resilience to Shoal Creek’s riparian buffer. Species planted included elbow bush, Turk’s cap, switch grass, and American beautyberry.

12.16.22 Planted native grasses and shrubs, including inland sea oats, American beautyberry, elbow bush, coral berry, and Turk’s cap, to revegetate an area on the bank of Shoal Creek.

1.27.23 Planted 40 native shrubs and grasses along Shoal Creek, northeast of Shoal Creek Blvd and Gaston Ave. Then, managed ragweed in the restoration site west of Shoal Creek Blvd and Gaston Ave.

2.10.23 Ready, Set, Plant! event hosted by TreeFolks where dozens of volunteers planted tree saplings to help restore and rejuvenate a large area in and around the Shoal Creek riparian buffer zone.

4.21.23 Distributed native seed balls, planted native grasses, and managed invasive ragweed.

9.24.23 Made and distributed native see balls.

10.20.23 Planted native bunchgrasses and managed giant ragweed.

 

Upper Shoal Creek, Foster Lane to Hwy 183

A line of commercial private properties back up to Shoal Creek along its northern stretch from around Foster Lane up to Hwy 183, near its headwaters. Shoal Creek Conservancy is excited to collaborate with these commercial property owners and work to restore the riparian health of Shoal Creek in this region in order to improve its overall resilience.

Efforts & Progress

3.26.23 Along the west bank of Shoal Creek at Steck Avenue, volunteers from the North Shoal Creek Neighborhood Association planted about 60 native switchgrass plants in the riparian zone near the creek channel and seeded bare ground in the floodplain to create a native wildflower meadow. Big thanks to KVUE for allowing SCC and NSCNA to add beauty, habitat, and more robust vegetation to the back of their property on Shoal Creek.

11.12.23 Sowed wildflower seeds in the riparian zone near Shoal Creek and Steck Avenue.