News & Updates
Do zebra mussels in our lakes have an upside? State experts say no
An animal the size of a grain of sand with the growth potential of about an inch and half has infested Lake Travis. Its sharp shell can cut up lakegoers’ feet and its rapid reproduction can cause economic and ecological damage. In less than a year, the population of...
Two aquifer districts join the fight against Dripping Springs wastewater
A preliminary hearing was held last week by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), resulting in the addition of the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (HTGCD) and Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD) to the battle...
Wimberley Valley Cities become third International Dark Sky Community in Texas
In recognition of noteworthy local efforts to reduce light pollution and promote the benefits of nighttime darkness, the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) today designated the Wimberley Valley of Texas as an International Dark Sky Community. It is only the...
Needmore Water Grab Closer to Fruition – Landowners and Hill Country Groundwater at Risk
On Wednesday June 6th, the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) issued a ruling dismissing TESPA's Motion for Summary Disposition in the Needmore Water LLC Contested Case, granting Needmore and BSEACD's Motions and cancelling...
LCRA asks to drill eight water wells into the Simsboro Aquifer
The Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District is gearing up to adjudicate a request from the region’s largest utility entity to drill eight water wells in Bastrop County and suck billions of gallons of water per year from the underlying Simsboro Aquifer. In...
New Mexico official says Texas landowners are “stealing” millions of gallons of water and selling it back for fracking
After you head northeast on Ranch Road 652 from tiny Orla, it’s easy to miss the precise moment you leave Texas and cross into New Mexico. The sign just says “Lea County Line,” and with 254 counties in Texas, you’d be forgiven for not knowing there isn’t one named...
Tackling Future Hill Country Water Needs: ‘We Can’t Solve The Problem Alone’
“We are looking at starting the summer months, in the Hill Country, with only five inches of rain,” Katherine Romans, Executive Director of the Hill Country Alliance, explained during the opening of the most recent Texas Water Symposium on Wednesday, May 30. As the...
Austin’s quaintest neighbor aims to become 3rd Texas city to earn dark sky status
Only two Texas cities currently hold the coveted “dark sky status,” as designated by the International Dark-Sky Association. But Horseshoe Bay and Dripping Springs could soon be joined by forever-small town Fredericksburg. If Fredericksburg has anything to say about...
Mason, TX “The gem of the Hill Country”
Mason is a farming and ranching community with a significant artist presence. Having originated as a Germansettlement, Mason is not very ethnically diverse, but our population is very diverse in age approximately 22%under 18, 25% between 25 and 44, 29% between 45 and...