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Fall 2024 Open House

All Week: September 23 – 27, with presentations at 10am and 2pm daily, LMUD Administration Office, 1097 Lohmans Crossing

Stop in any day this week to peruse a wide assortment of literature and water-saving giveaways. Presentations will be held each day at 10am and 2pm on a variety of water-related topics from landscaping tips to managing leaks and more. See below for full schedule.

EVENTS

Monday, September 23, 2024
10am
Rainscaping: The next generation of water-wise landscaping

Presenters: Rob Tyler and Hunter Reed, Ecosystem Regeneration Artisans
Cycles of flash flooding and drought present many challenges for home gardens and our ecosystem. With rainscapes, we can create conditions for plants to thrive in harsh weather, while providing benefits to wildlife and human communities. By harvesting rainwater in a rain garden, water that would runoff during storms to contribute to flash flooding, sinks into the soil and recharges the aquifer. Building functional rain gardens requires careful planning and plant placement. During this talk, we’ll guide you through the process of creating rain gardens with teaching stories from 6 years of building residential rainscapes. Free informational booklets on rain gardens will be handed out to all attendees.

2pm
Gardening for Pollinators – Low-Maintenance, Low-Water, High-Enjoyment

Presenter: Peter Keilty, Bees-For-All
Beekeeper and Lakeway resident Peter Keilty’s style of gardening has always been tailored to produce the best possible honey, but over the years his experimentation with native and adapted Texas plants has shown him that our Texas wildlife has been enjoying his garden as much as the honey bees. Join him to share in his love of bees and pollinators and learn how it’s the little things in life – insects – that make the world go round.

Tuesday, September 24, 2024
10am
Waste Not, Want Not, Irrigating Your Garden in Central Texas

Presenter: Paula Wolfel, Grit and Grace Gardening

Paula will discuss the role of water in plant development and how water moves through plants, soil’s role in irrigation, and how to efficiently provide water to a garden. She will highlight water conservation, rainwater harvesting, and irrigation methods. Paula will also provide resources and tangible takeaways for Austin gardeners.

2pm
Saving Seeds for Your Garden and for Wildlife

Presenter: Leah Crenwelge
A new seed library has just opened at the Bee Cave Arts Foundation so Leah will show you how to harvest and save seeds so you can share and trade with other members of the seed community. Alongside the practical aspects, she will also discuss why seed saving is so important for plants and for the planet. Free seeds will be provided to get you started! As a daughter of the pioneers who have been farming and ranching in the Texas Hill Country since the 1840s, Leah is excited to share with you her love of this land and its incredible plant biodiversity.

Wednesday, September 25, 2024
10am
Water for Health: An Essential Nutrient

Presenter: Emily Haeussler, Local Resident, Centered Eating
Join Lakeway resident Emily Haeussler Registered Dietitian Nutritionist to discover the science behind the health benefits of water! Learn about why water is so important for our bodies, the consequences of dehydration, and ways to get more water through your diet. Added bonus: the first 5 attendees will receive a copy of a fruit-infused water recipe book.

2pm
Developing a Native Plant Garden in Lakeway

Presenter: Tom Englehart, local resident
At his newly constructed property in Old Lakeway, Tom requested several variances from the City of Lakeway to build outside of the setback, construct a fence, adjust the placement of his driveway, and install a native plant garden in his front yard. Tom will recount his experience working with the city and discuss the opportunities and challenges of working beyond City regulations.

Thursday, September 26, 2024
10am
Understanding your Water Quality Report/Water Treatment

Presenter: Raf Mendoza, Treatment Operations Manager, Lakeway MUD
Drinking Water Quality Reports provide you with important information about the quality of your drinking water and are published by your water utility on a yearly basis. Learn where your water comes from as well as how the water is treated to bring it up to drinking water standards. LMUD’s current Water Quality Report can be found at www.lakewaymud.org/about-us/about-your-water.

2pm
ODWW Project Update

Presenter: Stephanie Threinen, Public Information Liaison, Lakeway MUD
LMUD’s septic-to-sewer conversion project for the first 17 sections of Lakeway (“Old Lakeway”). Learn about how far the Project has come since it first launched in 2018 and where we’re headed. Individual questions about your specific property can also be addressed. For information on the ODWW Project, visit www.lakewaymud.org/odww-project

Friday, September 27, 2024
10am
WaterSmart/AMI Meter Technology

Presenter: Stephanie Threinen, Public Information Liaison, Lakeway MUD
LMUD’s new WaterSmart platform allows customers access to detailed information about their household water use. Customers are able to track their hourly and daily water usage, self-identify and resolve leaks, understand where their water is being used, compare their water use to similar households, and set water use alerts. For more information, visit: www.lakewaymud.org/update/watersmart

2pm
Resource Library

Presenter: n/a
This is not a presentation, but an opportunity to peruse the information LMUD has available at their office (not available for take home) including seed catalogs, native plant magazines, and manuals and research reports on rainwater harvesting, climate data, and landscaping.

Thank you LMUD for making informative presentations available to us. We attended one which provided information on proper irrigation system equipment and understanding our usage! We are also working to improve swimming pool water usage.

Kay B.
RE: Open House event, MAY 2024

…as a resident for only the past 3 years [attending the Open House] helped me immensely.  Thanks for making the meetings available.

KAREN H.
RE: OPEN HOUSE EVENT, OCTOBER 2023