BY KAMERYN GRIESSER & APRIL KELLEY
Zooming in
What else
sparked concerns among residents. Travis County issues permits to allow develop- ers to remove endangered species’ habitat from September to March each year, but cannot stop habitat removal outside of this timeframe. Only the federal government has the authority to stop the removal of habitat outside this time frame.
The Lake Travis area is one of the few remaining breeding grounds for the endangered gold- en-cheeked warbler bird species, which nests in the region’s Ashe juniper forests. A 2022 survey conducted by Blaire Wildlife Consulting around the perimeter of the Travis Club property found 42 of the warblers, which has
The water supply has been a concern around the region since Lake Travis hit a near-decade low in the summer. The addition of thousands of new homes has only increased community concerns. “The drought is not over,” said Shannon Hamilton, the executive director of the Central Texas Water Coalition—a nonprofit organization advocating for policies to preserve the Central Texas water supply. “We have to recognize what is best for the current residents. … These projections of population growth are terrifying.” The Lower Colorado River Authority approved water use permits for both developments and regulates how their wastewater is managed, said Public Information Officer Clara Tuma. The average daily water usage for a sin- gle-family household is 246 gallons, according to the Texas Water Development Board. Travis Club’s 274 single-family homes will use an estimated 67,404 gallons daily, while Thomas Ranch’s 1,618 will use an estimated 398,028 gallons daily.
Forest loss in golden-cheeked warbler breeding areas A 2022 survey tracked the annual decline of forested land cover in Austin and nonurban areas within the warbler breeding range from a 1985 baseline to 2017.
Austin
Nonurban areas
-11.57%
120 90 60 0
-22.84%
SOURCES: LINDSAY ROSA, PAUL SANCHEZ-NAVARRO, BRYAN BIRD, DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Population growth in unincorporated areas
What’s next
1990 2020
real estate, Rentfro said, with the first anticipated move-ins in 2025. While only Phase 1 of Travis Club has been approved, the full plan is not expected to change significantly as future phases go through approval, said David Armbrust, a lawyer for Travis Club.
While the developments will not be completed for years, residents can expect to see changes in the coming year as roads, water systems and amenities are built out. Loraloma, the first phase of Thomas Ranch, has broken ground on the golf course, and is currently selling their initial
11,922
Burnet County
+98%
24,918
111,370
Travis County
+109%
220,513
SOURCE: TEXAS HILL COUNTY CONSERVATION NETWORK/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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LAKE TRAVIS - WESTLAKE EDITION
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