At last month’s SRCC general membership meeting, representatives from City of Austin Watershed Protection and the Parks & Recreation Department were on hand to introduce plans to repair the field and walking trail areas at Big Stacy Park. Watershed Protection has identified continued erosion issues from the playing fields which is causing excessive rainfall and sediment runoff into Blunn Creek. The restoration project would include the following:
- Tilling, amending and re-grading the playing fields to decompact soil and reduce runoff
- Constructing low berms to catch runoff and facilitate infiltration
- Removing sediments and debris from the rain gardens to restore capacity for runoff and sediment capture.
Watershed Protection and PARD expect the project to prevent erosion from further damaging the trail, increase infiltration to support water quality in Blunn Creek and create a more enjoyable field surface for park users.
Timing for all park work has been tentatively slated for late summer and early fall this year. However, several SRCC members noted that students and teachers from nearby Travis Heights Elementary frequently utilized the park for recreation and could be impacted by the City’s plans. The presenting representatives noted that SRCC was the first among other neighborhood groups being asked to provide feedback, and agreed to take into account the potential concerns of THES prior to finalizing the construction timeline.
For more information: Please contact Clayton Ernst at 512-974-9792 or clayton.ernst@austintexas.gov, or reach out to SRCC leadership.
