What is the Save Our Springs Ordinance and does it apply to my lot?

The Save Our Springs (SOS) Ordinance is the cornerstone watershed-protection rule for the Barton Springs Zone, codified primarily under City of Austin Code Chapter 25-8 (Environment) Subchapter A, Article 13. Voters adopted it in 1992 to safeguard recharge for Barton Springs and the Edwards Aquifer, and the regulatory geometry has barely shifted in three decades.

Whether SOS applies to a specific lot is a function of two overlapping maps: the Barton Springs Recharge Zone and the Contributing Zone. Recharge-zone parcels carry the strictest impervious-cover cap, generally 15 percent for single-family lots, with the Contributing Zone allowing up to roughly 25 percent depending on slope and gross site area. Steep slopes greater than 15 percent are essentially undevelopable under the ordinance unless the project predates the rule and qualifies for a vested-rights determination under Chapter 245 of the Texas Local Government Code.

Layered on top of SOS, the Critical Water Quality Zone setbacks under Chapter 25-8 Subchapter A, Article 1, restrict construction within 100 to 400 feet of waterways depending on classification. Lake Austin Watershed rules, the Edwards Aquifer Protection Plan filed with TCEQ under 30 TAC 213, and the Heritage Tree ordinance under Chapter 25-8, Article 2, add further constraints. For a homeowner, the practical implication is that the buildable footprint, driveway, patio, and pool surfaces all count toward the impervious cover cap, and exceedance triggers a full Land Development Code variance through the Environmental Commission.

Before committing to a remodel scope or addition south of Lady Bird Lake, pull the property profile from the City's address-search portal, overlay the SOS map, and request an Environmental Resource Inventory if the lot has any creek frontage or critical environmental features. Cost of an early review beats redesign at permit submittal.