Circle Acres

The Grove Landfill Remediation

Circle Acres was formerly the Grove Landfill tract—located in Montopolis, East Austin, Texas along the Country Club Creek East, 1/4 mile from the Colorado River—was a municipal landfill for three years in the late 1960s, which left a legacy of toxins in the soil and groundwater.  In the decades since, the Brownfield remained an illegal dump accumulating hundreds of tons of construction debris, tires, and household items.  Each rain event, storm run-off carries in litter and other debris through this eroded floodplain towards the river.   Rubbish and unchecked invasive species are degrading this natural wetland habit, which is home to many migrating birds and stands of native trees.

Ecology Action uses compost, mulch, and native plant transplanting, just to mention a few bio-remediation techniques, to clean toxins out of the soil and surface water and to bring much needed structure to eroded soil. Ecology Action is also cleaning-up illegal dumping and run-off debris through volunteer efforts in partnership with Keep Austin Beautiful.

The project recently received an master plan and infrastructure grant from Impact Austin. EA is partnering with the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems and Glenrose Engineering to develop long term plans for Grove Landfill remediation and the restoration of the Montopolis Wetlands.