News & Updates
Hoping to raise water awareness, state returns to a famous ad man
An Austin advertising legend who once helped sell “Don’t mess with Texas” is now working with state officials on a sequel: a campaign to get Texans to cherish water, from their lakes to their sinks. Roy Spence, one of the founders of ad giant GSD&M, is partnering...
From the Banks of Sandy Creek
It's called Sandy Creek for a reason. It's fairly long and, coming up to its mouth, pretty wide, and like many Hill Country creeks, when it's not flooding, it usually has a little bit of water and quite a bit of sand. It's pretty, though, largely unspoiled as it runs...
Hays County resolution requests hearing over permit to pump water from Middle Trinity Aquifer
The Hays County Commissioners Court unanimously signed a resolution Tuesday to ratify a letter requesting a contested case hearing from the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District over a permit application by Electro Purification, LLC. According to Hays...
July Director’s Notes from the Executive Director
In this month’s Director’s Notes, I’m excited to share our 2017 Annual Report with you, which highlights the Hill Country Alliance’s many achievements last year. One accomplishment we are very proud of is HCA’s commitment to our mission of bringing together an...
Will Austin stores restock single-use plastic bags now that the city’s ban is lifted?
Austin is ending its ban on free single-use plastic bags at stores and restaurants after a state Supreme Court ruling against a similar ban in Laredo. But repealing the ordinance, commonly known as the “bag ban,” doesn't mean every store will start handing them out...
Hill Country browse
The Texas Hill Country has the highest density of shrub-eating animals in the United States. Texas is home to about 4 million white-tailed deer, and about half of them live in the Hill Country and Edwards Plateau. In addition, Texas is home to more than 2 million...
Are deer evolving resistance to CWD?
If you hunt whitetails, you’ve probably already heard of chronic wasting disease (CWD). This neurodegenerative disease is caused by an odd sort of protein called a prion that develops in the brains of infected animals and causes abnormal behavior, loss of body...
River Revival: Restoring a once-vital waterway with recycled wastewater
The Santa Cruz River once flowed year-round in Tucson, AZ, supporting one of the largest mesquite forests in the world. But urban development and extensive groundwater withdrawals in recent years caused the river’s volume to dwindle. Today, city administrators hope...
Adding partner on Hays County area pipeline will cut costs by $60M
A Seguin-based water authority will be joining a $325 million pipeline project for the rapidly growing South Central Texas area, cutting costs by more than $60 million. The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority and Alliance Regional Water Authorityhave partnered to build...