Waterloo Greenway Conservancy will unveil new trail systems on June 6 as part of the Waterloo Greenway project. The Confluence, Phase 2 of the project, features a half-mile stretch of trails along Waller Creek between Fourth Street and Lady Bird Lake, according to a news release. 

The Confluence showcases a design meant to bring wildlife, green spaces and a place for community gathering to the center of downtown, said John Rigdon, Waterloo Greenway Conservancy’s chief planning and design officer. 

Why it matters: The new trail also showcases over 1,600 trees, 200,000 plants and 200 different native species that were planted as part of the project. For context, Rigdon said, Waterloo Park features 90,000 plants and 5,000 trees. 

The grand opening: Waterloo Greenway Conservancy will welcome the public to The Confluence for the first time on June 6, debuting its new environment.

• Opens June 6
• Downtown Austin

Austin leaders took an initial step toward regulating disruptive dumpster collections that have been reported as a persistent nuisance by residents citywide.

Today, dumpster pickups aren't covered by local regulations that limit loud noises, and that activity can take place at all hours of the day. For residents who live near commercial areas with multiple dumpsters, collections can prove to be an annoyance, especially during late-night hours. Multiple council offices have received complaints about collection activities, leading officials to launch a process this spring aimed at banning dumpster pickups at "unreasonable hours" near homes and apartments.

Council member Mike Siegel, who sponsored the proposal, said he's fielded concerns about noisy trash pickups since coming into office and is seeking to provide residents some relief. The measure calls for city staff to consider "reasonable limits" for operating hours, including late-night and early-morning restrictions, and required minimum distances between dumpsters and residences.

New rules could be in place by the end of the year.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed June 3 that a case of the New World screwworm, a parasitic fly, was detected on a cattle ranch in South Texas.

The overview: The case marks the first domestic detection of screwworm in a decade and the first Texas case in approximately 50 years. The flesh-eating parasite is a threat to the state’s $15.5 billion cattle industry.

Zooming in: No additional infestations have been identified, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins told reporters. Federal and state officials have emphasized that they do not anticipate issues with the food supply chain, as the screwworm only targets live animals and does not infest meat, fruit or vegetables.

However, experts have warned that a larger, prolonged screwworm outbreak could cause a spike in beef prices.

A widespread infestation is estimated to cost Texas at least $1.8 billion per year in damages, according to a USDA analysis of a 1976 screwworm outbreak. Texas cattle, sheep and goat producers would face about $732 million in annual losses.