When a quarry closes, can its damage be undone?

When a quarry closes, can its damage be undone?

A hypnotic maze of subdivisions stretches along Anderson Mill Road as you drive north out of Austin. Then, just before you reach downtown Cedar Park, towering mounds of loose rock rise like ashes from a giant cigarette. Throughout the Texas Hill Country, this sort of...
Texas cities are booming. I feel it in the country.

Texas cities are booming. I feel it in the country.

About a year ago, I was kayaking down the Llano River, about 80 miles west of Austin, Texas. It’s spring-fed and runs through the countryside, representative of the state’s beauty. I was paddling a usually serene route when I noticed the water becoming shallow and the...
Unsafe Yield Severe drought, dead wells, political division push Arizona steadily closer to water supply peril.

Unsafe Yield Severe drought, dead wells, political division push Arizona steadily closer to water supply peril.

When it comes to water in a county where groundwater is the sole source for irrigation and drinking, and where demand is racing ahead of supply, the boundaries of politics and ideology can change. Clear proof has emerged in recent years of the serious consequences of...
State of the Hill Country: Growth in unincorporated areas of Kendall County

State of the Hill Country: Growth in unincorporated areas of Kendall County

Editorial by Ben Eldredge, Cibolo Center for Conservation As the new State of the Hill Country Report illustrates, the Hill Country population has increased by 50% since 1990, with most of this growth occurring along the I-35 corridor. The fastest growing counties are...