News & Updates
Hill Country rivers at risk of historic lows ahead of tubing season
"In general, the Edwards Aquifer and San Marcos springflow levels are currently at levels that have only been experienced less than 10% of the time in recorded monitoring history and approaching the lowest levels on record for this time of year," Enders said in an...
Texas utilities are storing their water underground. Here’s why.
Among the most striking signs of Central Texas' ongoing drought are two of the region’s reservoirs: Canyon Lake in Comal County and Medina Lake, west of San Antonio. In both lakes, the water levels are historically low. For the first time since it was filled in the...
Protect the Pedernales: The dangers of discharge
The Pedernales River is one of Texas’s most cherished waterways, an ecological, recreational and cultural treasure that defines the Hill Country. As stewards of this vital resource, the Pedernales River Alliance (PRA) has opposed the wastewater permit application...
An EPA rule will reduce lead in drinking water—Unless this effort to block it succeeds
A landmark Environmental Protection Agency rule enacted at the end of last year sought to address the lead crisis—which threatens the health of millions of Americans—by tightening limitations on toxic lead and copper in drinking water. But that might not be the final...
Hill Country Alliance announces first-ever Night Sky Preservation Fund awardees
On January 14th, the Hill Country Alliance (HCA) announced the first-ever recipients of its Night Sky Preservation Fund. The selected projects vary across six counties and together will improve regional night sky quality by improving outdoor lighting, educating...
Texas Hill Country property to be pristine sanctuary with limited access
Conservation has won after a pristine 32-acre parcel in the Texas Hill Country was donated to the Cibolo Center for Conservation. Instead of turning into a possible housing development, the property will become a sanctuary that will have limited access to the public...
Texas lawmaker files bill to reduce “forever chemicals” in sewage-based fertilizer
Johnson County’s newest state representative, Helen Kerwin, R-Cleburne, filed her first bill Friday targeting an environmental problem that has struck her county: PFAS contamination in sewage sludge-based fertilizers. Kerwin said House Bill 1674, could reduce the...
Texas regulators report more than 250 new cases of groundwater contamination
Texas agencies reported 252 new cases of groundwater contamination during 2023 in the Texas Groundwater Protection Committee annual report. The latest report compiles 2,870 open cases of groundwater contamination, some of which date back decades. Nearly every county...
Austin has little to no ‘forever chemicals’ in its drinking water. What did the city do right?
New testing results show Austin has little to no traces of forever chemicals in its drinking water. Exposure to these chemicals, also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS, have been linked to prostate and kidney cancers, thyroid conditions, decreased...