by Leah Cuddeback | Jan 27, 2023 | Habitat Conservation Plans, Land Conservation and Stewardship, Legislature and Regulation, Low Impact & Sustainable Development, News, Planning and Development, Wildlife
A tiny bird is at the center of a growing battle over land development in far north Bexar County. Cibolo Canyons is home to the endangered golden-cheeked warbler, a bird native to Central Texas. A proposed land swap in is raising questions for neighbors. Read more... by Leah Cuddeback | Jan 25, 2023 | Community, County Authority, News, Planning and Development
In August 2021, a handful of Bastrop County residents noticed something big unfolding on quiet Walker Watson Road. The two-lane road, about a quarter-mile long from end to end, bisects cow pastures, cornfields and woods. It’s lined by 15 homesteads, most on lots of 1... by Leah Cuddeback | Jan 19, 2023 | Community, Conservation Easements, Land Conservation and Stewardship, Low Impact & Sustainable Development, News, Planning and Development
Hays County has acquired Purgatory Creek Nature Preserve, a 1,068-acre conservation easement that will permanently protect and preserve the land from future development. This easement was proposed and sponsored by the Hill Country Conservancy (HCC) to be funded... by Leah Cuddeback | Jan 3, 2023 | Community, Drought, Groundwater Resources, Legislature and Regulation, News, Planning and Development, Regional Planning, Water Catchment Areas (Watershed), Water Conservation, Water Planning, Water Resources
When David Cahill’s three wells ran out of water last year, he wasn’t surprised. It had been a long time coming, and he knew eventually he would have to dig another, deeper well on his property. Still, the final price — just under $30,000 — he didn’t expect. Read more... by Leah Cuddeback | Jan 3, 2023 | Conservation Easements, Drought, Land Conservation and Stewardship, News, Planning and Development, Regional Planning, Water Planning, Water Resources
The Edwards Aquifer, source of Comal Springs, is recognized as one of the most prolific karst aquifer systems in the world. Storm water enters and travels through the system with amazing speed, allowing for rapid recharge of this elegant water source. However, this... by Leah Cuddeback | Dec 19, 2022 | Drought, Groundwater Resources, Legislature and Regulation, Native Landscapes, News, Planning and Development, Regional Planning, Water Catchment Areas (Watershed), Water Conservation, Water Planning, Water Quality, Water Resources
Cities and farmers in Central Texas used to pump groundwater from the Edwards Aquifer much more freely—draining local springs and rivers and depriving several endangered species of a habitat. In the 1990s, the Sierra Club sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on...