Our River Resilience Speaker Series luncheon on February 25, 2026 featuring guest speaker, Casey Williams, an aquatic ecologist from BIO-WEST, Inc., was such a great way to spend the lunch hour! Casey shared his expert insights into the native and invasive plants that call our local reservoirs home so that we could explore the fascinating underwater world of Lady Bird Lake and Lake Austin and learn about the impact of the plants we see in our lakes.
During small group discussion after the event, Casey pointed to the complex factors resulting in the severe overgrowth of invasive plants right now. Casey pointed to the extreme drought of the past several years that resulted in higher nutrient loads in the river (upstream) followed by the immense rains of last summer, which resulted in increased flow of all those nutrients (downstream).
Additional key takeaways from the presentation
- Individual responsibility: Each of us has a role in preserving water quality and conserving water quantity.
- Reservoirs with a pulse: While we call them lakes, Lady Bird Lake and Lake Austin are man-made reservoirs that function with river-like conditions.
- Spotting the locals: We learned to identify native beauties like the American Water willow and the Correll’s False Dragonhead—a rare local treasure found in only a few places in Texas, including right here on the banks of Lady Bird Lake.
- Managing invaders: We discussed the four ways to address invasive species like hydrilla, which crowd out native plants and grow very quickly. (Prevention, Biological Control, Chemical Control, Mechanical Control)
- Key contacts: When considering water quality and quantity of Lady Bird Lake and Lake Austin, a few entities to know:
- City of Austin: Watershed Protection Department
- Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD)
- Friends of Lake Austin – learn more by following on Instagram
- Key contacts: Speaker Series Presenters:
- BIO-WEST – Casey Williams, Speaker Series presenter, Spring 2026
- Studio dwg – Daniel Woodriffe, Speaker Series presenter, Fall 2024
Ready to dive in? How to engage next
If you’re feeling inspired, there are plenty of ways to get involved right now:
- Apply for the City of Austin’s Lake Austin Stakeholder group; applications due by March 11, 2026. Link to the stakeholder group application form.
- Pay-it-forward: Consider a gift to Colorado River Alliance (CRA) to support our youth education and community engagement efforts.
- Join the Lake Austin Cleanup: Register for the cleanup – CRA’s 4th Annual Keep Lake Austin Calm & Clean event on Saturday, May 16 – opportunities include SUP, shoreline, and kayaking.
Thank you to everyone who joined us!
Together, we are inspiring future and current River Stewards!
Warmly,
Adrienne Longenecker, CFRE
Executive Director
