Please give me 10 reasons why NOT to move to the Austin area. (Dallas: house)

[brattpowered]

Owning a stream? People in this state can be so selfish sometimes.

[TheHarvester]

Originally Posted by brattpowered

Owning a stream? People in this state can be so selfish sometimes.

So, if you live on a one-acre property and your house is by a small stream, should the public be able to come and picnic in your front yard? Park in your driveway? Maybe they should be allowed to camp on your land as well.

Every state has laws prohibiting access to smaller waterways. Every large body of water and every large stream or river in Texas has free public access. I'd list the access points but it's so easy to find them that it would be pointless. And no, you shouldn't be able to walk through someone's yard to get to a stream. Good grief...

[Driftwood1]

Well, here's the thing, no lay person can really draw the line at what is a large body of water or a small one.. The one in Wimberley, the Blanco , I personally would concider it both navigable and large.. but its constantly referred to as private. No parking anywhere, plenty of keep out signs, etc.

They have a huge thread about it on their local mssg board . I would post a link but I dont know if referring to another board is allowed here?
Anyway , google "river access" and the "wimberley Valley community forums"
and you'll find it..
The people of Wimberley dont want anyone on or near "Their River"

[Trainwreck20]

The people of Wimberley dont want anyone on or near "Their River"

That may be true, but that doesn't mean they can have their way. The problem is that the land owners create an impression of what is the law, and people believe it. In general, you can canoe down pretty much any river you can actually float your canoe on. We try our best to stay off the banks unless necessary for repairs or something. We also put in at indisputable public access points.

[love roses]

Harvester, you're getting too worked up. Noone is saying if you have 1 acre w/ a stream running through it that people should be able to park in your driveway, picnic in your yard, or camp there (unless they have your permission). But, if someone were way upstream in a canoe, and happened along past your property while they're sitting in the boat drifting along, you can't tell them to get lost or fire a shotgun at them (which is what had people so angry in Colorado). If the stream is too small to be navigable by boat, then most likely noone would be tempted to wander it, unless they were lost or something.

[TheHarvester]

Originally Posted by love roses

Harvester, you're getting too worked up.

Congratulations, you win a prize for being the 1,000th person on a web forum to notice that I tend to get a bit hysterical in my posts. On one forum I became friends with a guy in the UK who would begin his e-mails with friendly comments such as "So, how goes the hysteria?"

Originally Posted by love roses

...if someone were way upstream in a canoe, and happened along past your property while they're sitting in the boat drifting along, you can't tell them to get lost or fire a shotgun at them (which is what had people so angry in Colorado).

Not familiar with the Colorado case.

This issue of water access is pandemic, as demonstrated by the fact that famous residents of Malibu have been involved in lawsuits against them for trying to block public access to the beach. They want to own the coast in front of their mansions. I can respect their desire for privacy, but I have no respect for their desire to have privacy while excluding the public from enjoying PUBLIC lands.

The population growth in central Texas is a huge factor in diminishing access to water. Wimberley never had this problem in the past, it's apparently something that is coming with all the development along the banks of its rivers and streams and it's very sad to hear that the town has not had the foresight to create public access points. VERY sad. Sounds quite elitist.

I love the fact that I can hike down to Barton Creek in south-central Austin and go swimming, hiking, tubing, etc. Austin has had fantastic management of public lands, although the lack of control on growth in the Barton Creek watershed and the Barton Springs recharge zone is threatening the future of our sacred waters. Money, it seems, has far more influence than public opinion on the decisions of public officials. We need to oust the entire current city council, all of whom ran as "Green" candidates but none of whom have behaved according to their stated ideals and intentions.

[love roses]

I totally agree with you ...And if you haven't noticed yet...I tend to get a little hysterical myself sometimes!

[twange]

Hey guys, I like to refer to hysteria as "passion"

[love roses]

"passion" it is, then!

[saxymeg]

I just don't get why everyone is bringing up scorpions. I've lived in Texas all my life and Austin for 10 years now, and I have never seen a scorpion in my life! Roaches, though, that's a different story... Beware flying roaches...