Austin firefighters conducting prescribed burn in South Austin
The Austin Fire Department is conducting a prescribed burn on Austin's Water Quality Protection Lands. (Austin Water)
AUSTIN, Texas - If you see smoke in South Austin, it may be coming from a prescribed burn.
The Austin Fire Department is conducting the prescribed burn near MoPac and SH 45 to help restore native grasslands on Austin's Water Quality Protection Lands (WQPL).
On January 26 and 27, crews plan to safely treat up to 55 acres with prescribed fire.
The WQPL program manages land to benefit the quality and quantity of water recharging the Edwards Aquifer, which provides water to both Barton Springs and to groundwater wells in Hays and Travis Counties.
"Prescribed fire is a key tool used to manage this land and improves the quality and quantity of groundwater entering the Edwards Aquifer," said Matt Lore, Austin Water Wildland Conservation Division. "Beyond our core mission of improving groundwater quality in Central Texas, the use of prescribed fire also improve landscape resilience, promoting a diverse and vibrant ecosystem above the aquifer."