South River City Citizens @ Blunn Creek Preserve

2010 Neighborhood Beautification Grant Recipient

Work in Blunn Creek Preserve began 20 years ago, accelerating in the past 3 years, with work focusing on planning, mapping, educational work (video production, sign installation, tree marking, and development of a social network site) and hands-on work, such as the removal of ligustrum, nandina and other exotic plants, installation of water bars, widening and resurfacing of trails, and planting of a wide variety of native plants, including canopy trees, understory trees, grasses, forbs and sedges. 

The existing conditions along Blunn Creek include a combination of high storm flows from increasing impervious cover in the watershed, reduced ground cover along the Creek; increasingly exotic vegetation (chiefly wax-leaf ligustrum) along the Creek, highly eroded sections of the Creek bank, and poor water quality from erosion and runoff. 

The Keep Austin Beautiful Grant funded the planting of sedges and bunch grasses by South River City Citizen volunteers along Blunn Creek in Blunn Creek Preserve.  Volunteers will plant 100 yards of Blunn Creek bank with plants whose roots will hold the creek shore against erosion, filter runoff to the Creek, reintroduce biodiversity to the Preserve, and provide shade and shelter to keep water temperatures and evaporation low, and to protect aquatic life in the stream. 

Plants used in the restoration work include (click on the name to learn more about each species): Meadow Sedge, Cherokee Sedge, Emory Sedge, Switchgrass, & Eastern Gamagrass.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the partners caring for Blunn Creek.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the KAB grants.

KAB/SRCC August 2010 Site Visit

DURING/AFTER Photos