Friends of the Land

A River Imperiled

Bastrop Riverkeeper Launches GoFundMe campaign

Environmental Stewardship is challenging TCEQ’s insistence that the Lower Colorado RIver downstream of Austin is not impaired., despite alarming symptoms and new data suggesting otherwise.

TCEQ has given the green light for a contested case hearing that challenges the agency’s reluctance to add this section of the river to its impaired waterways list. Doing so would place restrictions and limits on new wastewater permits discharging into the river.

An Austin-based environmental law firm has provided invaluable pro bono assistance in this effort but more support is urgently needed to prepare its case. Environmental Stewardship has launched a GoFundMe campaign where you find more information about this grassroots effort to protect the river.

Environmental Stewardship joined local environmental groups in opposing wastewater permits for Elon Musk’s Boring Company and SpaceX in Wilbarger Bend. That two-year effort played a signficant factor in both companies withdrawing their permit applications in March and April.

Environmental Stewardship, a Waterkeeper Affiliate, provides oversight of the 110-mile free-flowing section from Longhorn Dam to south of La Grange, Texas. This segment is located immediately below Austin in Travis County, and flows through Bastrop County and Fayette Counties.

Bastrop Bus Stop Needs More Protection, Residents Say

Three Gravel Mines Move Into Wilbarger Bend

Proposed Rock Crushing Site across from Wilbarger Bend Road

Does this look like agricultural land to you? Why are sand and gravel mines, like this one in Bastrop County, allowed to keep mined land in tax exempt agricultural valuationinstead of being appraised at their true commercial value, as required by state law?

Mining Operations Not Paying Fair Share of Property Taxes

Here is Google Earth map history of Texas Aggregates’ sand and gravel operation near FM 969 in Bastrop County. Since it bought the farmland in 2002, all but 1 of its 635 acres has remained in ag exemption — until 2023 (table below).

For the 2023 tax year the property initially received its ag exemption again despite most of the property being mined. It was later changed to wildlife exemption for 585 acres. The property’s assessed value for 2024 is nearly the same as it was in 2014. Taxes due in 2024 are $8209. Estimated taxes without exemptions are listed as $121,219. (see table #2 below)

Google Map of Mine in 2023