Ground Floor Theatre
Disputing Aquifer 'Facts'
RECEIVED Mon., Jan. 16, 2006
Dear Editor,
Regarding Mr. Raymond Slade Jr.’s letter of Jan. 13 [“Postmarks”], I am compelled and obliged to reply. Aquifer flow studies in a joint project between the city of Austin and the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District conducted between 1996 and 2002 demonstrate that runoff and groundwater from the Lantana tract (and the contributing zone north of Highway 71) would drain into the hydrologically distinct Cold Springs Basin segment of the Edwards Aquifer system and thence flow northeastward to emerge at Cold Springs on Town Lake, thereby bypassing Barton Springs entirely. Mr. Slade should be made aware that a summary of this study (www.ci.austin.tx.us/watershed/wq_dyetrace.htm) is on the same Web site as his referenced water-quality degradation study. Figure four of the full report (www.bseacd.org/graphics/Report_Summary_of_Dye_Trace.pdf) is particularly informative. Perhaps Barton Springs is not in peril, after all, from pollution directly related to developments in this area. Further, I stand by my observation that most of the local Edwards Aquifer direct recharge zone has already been extensively developed.
Re: Mr. Colin Clark’s letter of Jan. 13 [“Postmarks”], it is not my conclusion “that Advanced Micro Devices should spur further urbanization.” My conclusion is a simple observation that the growth boom in the southwest has already occurred and continues apace, AMD or not, Motorola or not, SOS or not. As for the claim that AMD is “building a major campus in our most fragile watershed,” please see the above referenced study and its implications. As a geologist, I am amazed at the lack of scientific and intuitive logic being applied to this issue, which appears to be a wretched emotional and political zero-sum conflict.
Regarding Mr. Raymond Slade Jr.’s letter of Jan. 13 [“Postmarks”], I am compelled and obliged to reply. Aquifer flow studies in a joint project between the city of Austin and the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District conducted between 1996 and 2002 demonstrate that runoff and groundwater from the Lantana tract (and the contributing zone north of Highway 71) would drain into the hydrologically distinct Cold Springs Basin segment of the Edwards Aquifer system and thence flow northeastward to emerge at Cold Springs on Town Lake, thereby bypassing Barton Springs entirely. Mr. Slade should be made aware that a summary of this study (www.ci.austin.tx.us/watershed/wq_dyetrace.htm) is on the same Web site as his referenced water-quality degradation study. Figure four of the full report (www.bseacd.org/graphics/Report_Summary_of_Dye_Trace.pdf) is particularly informative. Perhaps Barton Springs is not in peril, after all, from pollution directly related to developments in this area. Further, I stand by my observation that most of the local Edwards Aquifer direct recharge zone has already been extensively developed.
Re: Mr. Colin Clark’s letter of Jan. 13 [“Postmarks”], it is not my conclusion “that Advanced Micro Devices should spur further urbanization.” My conclusion is a simple observation that the growth boom in the southwest has already occurred and continues apace, AMD or not, Motorola or not, SOS or not. As for the claim that AMD is “building a major campus in our most fragile watershed,” please see the above referenced study and its implications. As a geologist, I am amazed at the lack of scientific and intuitive logic being applied to this issue, which appears to be a wretched emotional and political zero-sum conflict.
Douglas Watkins
Exploration geologist
Exploration geologist