Deep in the Heart of Austin.
There is a lost network of ephemeral creeks
that collected water for our watershed.
Decades of overdevelopment have hidden
these watershed assets from us.
Mystery Creek is one of these…

This here’s the story of Mystery Creek.

Back in the day, there was a big meadow about three miles south of future Austin.

During storms, there were three creeks that would collect acres worth of water and send it up to present day Little Turtle Creek; where it would pool and overflow into Williamson Creek, close to where South Congress and Ramble Lane are now.

In the 1930’s a little town called Pleasant Hill sprang up on the Southern end of our big meadow, bordering the Old San Antonio Highway (South Congress and Stassney).
That’s us. The Bird Streets. One of the oldest neighborhoods in South Austin.

Fast forward to today.
Our meadow and three creeks are covered in houses and crisscrossed with streets, underground pipes and what not. All that remains of those creeks is a tiny section over here in the Bird Streets Neighborhood… Mystery Creek.

Because the houses in the neighborhood are older, they retain their rural nature; and when we say “nature”, we mean Nature.

We’re surrounded by wildlife thanks to our little ephemeral creek.

Ephemeral creeks are creeks
that flow above the water table
after rain events.

They are as essential to our creek systems,
as capillaries are to our own circulatory systems. Learn more on our about page.

Do you have a temporary creek in your neighborhood when it rains? You might be harboring one of these ephemeral creeks as well. 

Jim Franklin Mystery Creek t-shirts

These will be available on April 21 for a $30 donation to our cause.