The Perry-Castañeda Library (PCL) from the University of Texas maintained a collection of online maps and related resources until 2021. Although no longer currently being updated, it is still a trove of resources and you can find maps pertaining to Texas as well as the Austin area.
Imagine if you lived near a lake or river and one day, you see something polluting it. Could you use a map to find the source of the issue? What kind of map would you need? What about other types of information?
This resource is an archive of historical weather and climate data, which has the capability to search by county or city, allowing you to get specific sets of information for research.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides this resource which users can access for environmental data collected by the agency.
This resource, provided by the city of Austin, collates data and publishes demographic profiles, in addition to other materials such as maps, reports, and more. While Austin-centric, this resource also has some information about the metropolitan area.