Shield Ranch Land Plan

By incorporating water management considerations in the master planning process, ranch owners extend their legacy of stewardship by protecting and enhancing on-site and down stream ecolog y.

For 80 years, the 6,800- acre Shield Ranch has been managed by a family with a strong land ethic and a commitment to conservation and stewardship. To help continue this legacy of stewardship, the Shield-Ayers- Bowen family sought a master plan to guide the realization of their future vision of a natural and cultural landscape that could be enjoyed by the family and shared with the public for generations to come.

Of paramount importance was the need to protect precious water resources, including Barton Creek, which crosses the property and serves as a critical water supply for the nearby City of Austin. Biohabitats led the effort to integrate water resource considerations through all phases of the project, includ¬ing the collection and review of existing information and data, inventory and analysis of opportunities and constraints for future ranch improve¬ments, and collaboration on appropriate water manage¬ment strategies for the site. To facilitate this process and ensure informed decision-making, Biohabitats developed hydrologic functional zones and a suitability analysis based on eco-hydrologic sensitivity to assist in siting low impact development elements.

The project garnered an Honor Award in Analysis and Planning from the American Society of Landscape Architects.