January 19, 2017 | Hornsby Bend Tour
Fourteen River Watchers had the opportunity to tour the ponds and greenhouse at the 1200-acre Hornsby Bend site in Southeast Austin. The Austin Water facility, the Center for Environmental Research at Hornsby Bend, was formed through a partnership in 1989 with The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University to support urban ecology and sustainability studies for Austin. Hornsby Bend is also nationally known for its biodiversity, ecotourism, and for being one of the best birding sites in the world. The students learned about how the plant recycles Austin’s biosolids and then later gets mixed with compost and yard trimmings and turned into an EPA-certified soil conditioner called Dillo Dirt™. Dillo Dirt is donated to landscape public places and sold through commercial vendors. The students learned how the Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant plays a key role in sustaining Austin’s environment by recycling Austin’s waste.
