Warning: number_format() expects parameter 1 to be float, string given in /home/hillcountry/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 424
News
Jacob’s Well was dry for seven months—One company just kept pumping
After sitting dry for 222 days, Jacob’s Well, the iconic artesian spring near Wimberley, has started to flow again. From mid-June through mid-January, the popular swimming hole was a miserable sight: the water level had receded below the lip of the well’s mouth,...
Texas companies reported releasing 1 million pounds of excess pollution during recent cold snap
Frigid weather this month caused industrial facilities across Texas to release unplanned air pollution as machinery froze, power went out and icy conditions blocked service crews. Over four chilly days between Jan. 14 and 17, companies submitted reports to Texas’...
Thousands of oil and gas wastewater spills threaten property, groundwater, wildlife and livestock across Texas
In the state’s latest Joint Groundwater Monitoring and Contamination Report, the Railroad Commission had included 557 groundwater contamination cases caused by oil and gas operations. The spokesperson said cases where chloride contaminated the groundwater—of which...
CNN names Texas Hill Country one of the best places to visit in the world this year
A new report says that one of the best places to visit in the entire world is right here in Central Texas. CNN Travel named the Texas Hill Country one of the best places to visit in the world in 2024. The region was included alongside 23 other destinations, including...
Residents, groups fight plan to dump wastewater into Hill Country waterway
Residents and environmental groups are asking state regulators to deny a developer’s request to build a plant that would dump 300,000 gallons of treated wastewater a day into Hondo Creek, saying the plan could damage the Hill Country waterway. The wastewater plant...
Which Texas cities could see nearly 500K tourists during the total eclipse?
With three months until a total solar eclipse passes over Texas on April 8, many people are making final preparations. Between 931,000 and 3,725,000 are expected to travel to see the eclipse within the United States, according to GreatAmericanEclipse.com. Which cities...
Aqua Texas sues Hays County groundwater district over a nearly $450,000 overpumping fine
Aqua Texas, a water utility company that services more than 3,000 customers in Hays County, filed a federal lawsuit late last month against the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District alleging unequal treatment following fines imposed for overpumping. The...
AQUA Texas files federal lawsuit against the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District in 2024
Groundwater is the only source of drinking water for the majority of western Hays County -- that's tens of thousands of residents. AQUA Texas is responsible for providing adequate and continuous water to its ratepayers. In order to protect the rights of all...
Opponents plan new fight against quarry
Opponents of a proposed quarry in Comal County are forming a new plan to fight the project after losing their latest effort to block the facility’s air quality permit. Since 2017, the Preserve Our Hill Country Environment Foundation and other advocates have been...
After Garden Ridge says no, concrete plant’s owner finds site just outside city
Months after Garden Ridge officials shot down a plans for a controversial concrete plant, the plant’s owners have quietly picked a new site for it — one that’s less than half a mile away, but is outside the Comal County city’s jurisdiction. Read more from Liz Teitz...
10 stories that impacted Dripping Springs residents in 2023
New plan aims to protect Hill Country's natural resources The Hill Country Land, Water, Sky and Natural Infrastructure Plan, released by the Texas Hill Country Conservation Network, or THCCN, is a plan to protect natural infrastructure that brings environmental,...
Thousands of gallons gush from Travis County water tower on multiple occasions
The irony was not lost on David Way. While he methodically worked to save an oak tree in his front yard by using a soaker hose on his designated watering day, water, on a few occasions, was gushing from a water tower just feet away from his western Travis County home....
Passing the torch: 19 properties officially transferred to Texas Land Conservancy
In the spirit of passing the torch, I am delighted to inform you that the Hill Country Land Trust has successfully completed a three-year process of transitioning its 19 protected properties, totaling 8,010 acres, to the capable hands of Texas Land Conservancy (TLC)....
Exploding development in Gillespie County
Aquifers, rivers need high consideration along with growth. “Everyone is concerned about the explosion of growth”, said Paul Tybor, General Manager of the Hill Country Underground Water Conservation District. Read more from Katherine Peake in the Fredericksburg...
Texas voters approve $1.8 billion in parks and recreation funding
This November, Texas voters approved Prop 14– the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund– with 76% of the vote. This $1 billion fund will enable the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to buy land to create dozens of new state parks. But on top of that historic win for...
Unique San Marcos River fish officially extinct
The San Marcos Gambusia was officially delisted from the Endangered Species Act by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service due to extinction on Oct. 16, with it last spotting sometime between 1983-85. The San Marcos Gambusia was a species unique to the San Marcos Springs....
Who is ‘Edwards,’ anyway? 5 things to know about the Edwards Aquifer.
You’ve likely heard about the Edwards Aquifer, especially over the past few drought-stricken years. The groundwater system provides water for more than 2 million people, and water levels in recent months have dictated watering restrictions, making them a tangible...
Exploration Green shows stormwater management possibilities
Texas Water Resources Institute held its semi-annual Texas Watershed Coordinator Roundtable in Houston Oct. 9-10. The two-day tour and roundtable is part of the Watershed Planning Short Course program and brings together watershed coordinators and other water resource...
The Fight for Water Begins – Preserve our Hill Country Environment
I am Milann Guckian, president of Preserve our Hill Country Environment (PHCE) Foundation. It was January 2022 that I last wrote about our ongoing battle with Vulcan Construction Materials and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TECQ) regarding the proposed...
Central Texas leaders take action as labor shortage looms in the water industry
crisis is happening in the water industry. High rates of retirement and difficulty filling positions have resulted in a water and wastewater operator shortage in Central Texas and across the state. This is on top of the critical water supply issues the KVUE...
After outcry, Texas State backs off plan to sell outdoor retreat
After facing backlash from the community, Texas State University officials have backed off their plan to sell an outdoor reserve that is set aside for for students and alumni. The Texas State University System, the body that oversees the San Marcos campus, was...
Wimberley’s Dark Sky Place of the Year award could mean bigger eclipse crowds
The City of Wimberley was recognized as Dark Sky Place of the Year by the nonprofit organization DarkSky International earlier this month. The city is now planning for more tourists looking to catch a glimpse of the stars and celestial events in Texas Hill Country....
Hill Country Alliance Limited Edition Design – Meet the Artist: Emma Marguiles
The Hill Country Alliance is proud to announce the release of a limited edition Hill Country creation, designed by local artist and graduate student, Emma Marguiles. Emma is a graduate student at the University of Texas in Austin and is working on a Masters in...
Drought crushes Texas water pipes with massive funding need
Water main breaks are at record levels, aquifers are at historic lows, and funding for new water supplies is elusive. Central Texas still is figuring out how to adapt its infrastructure to extreme drought and rising temperatures intensified by climate change, and its...
2023 Hill Country photo contest winners picked; 2024 calendar for sale
Winners in the Hill Country Alliance's 2023 photo contest have been announced. The top pictures capturing Central Texas' diverse wildlife, clear springs, sprawling rural landscapes, historic towns, and bright stars illustrate the HCA's 2024 calendar, on sale now. The...
Hill Country conference brings communities together for sustainable water solutions
A recent conference in Boerne brought local leaders and officials together to learn about sustainable water practices and conservation efforts in the Hill Country. The conference was organized in partnership between the City of Boerne, the Cibolo Center for...
One Water: How a Hill Country school is trying a new way to save water
The soccer field outside Blue Hole Primary School in Wimberley is green — almost shockingly green, considering that drought, water restrictions and a hot summer have left most of the grass around it baked and brown. But the school isn’t watering the field with...
Texans shape our water future
Water has always shaped Texas. Even before it was Texas, water marked where civilizations settled. In the 17th century, water determined where missions and trade routes were established. Today, it dictates the location of semiconductor plants and the growth of our...
Protecting the Trinity: Why the San Antonio area’s other aquifer is so important
The Trinity Aquifer is a key water source for the San Antonio and Hill Country area, and its health plays a key role in the health of another important water source, the Edwards Aquifer, which provides water for more than 2 million people. Protecting the Trinity and...
Why are riparian areas important?
Most Texans recognize that water bodies provide essential benefits such as drinking water, recreation, irrigation water and ecosystem benefits, but do you know why the areas of land surrounding those water sources are critically important? “Riparian areas are...