Walking Austin by Charlie Llewellin;

Author:Charlie Llewellin;
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780899979540
Publisher: Lightning Source Inc. (Tier 3)
Published: 2019-05-08T16:00:00+00:00

Point of Interest

Goat Cave Karst Nature Preserve 3900 Deer Run (access is from Davis Lane)

16Hornsby Bend

Colorado Bottomlands

Wildlife at Hornsby Bend

BOUNDARIES: Colorado River, Farm to Market Road 973

DISTANCE: 4.3 miles

DIFFICULTY: Easy

PARKING: On-site at the treatment ponds

PUBLIC TRANSIT: None

On the other bank of the river from the still-unreconstructed neighborhood of Del Valle, tucked into the eponymous bend, is Austin’s most unusual nature reserve, on the grounds of the Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant. This plant consists of a series of vast ponds and some hayfields surrounding huge piles of, well, let’s say that this is where the city turns nutrient-rich sewage sludge and yard trimmings into its famous Dillo Dirt compost. The raw sewage is treated in several large ponds, and the water then goes to irrigate the hayfields. (Old Reuben Hornsby would be impressed. See Backstory) These ponds attract large numbers of waterfowl, and the birds in turn attract many avian enthusiasts to the facility. Austin Water established the Center for Environmental Research at Hornsby Bend “for research and education about ecology and urban sustainability,” and the center worked with the birding community to set up the Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory. It also set about repairing the site’s 3.5 miles of riverside, and along with the observatory, this restored habitat is what we will explore.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.