News
New eminent domain laws from the 2021 Texas legislative session
The Texas Legislature recently approved five bills that will impact eminent domain matters throughout the state: HB 2730, HB 4107, SB 721, SB 725, and SB 726 For a rundown of these bills, Husch Blackwell LLP has outlined them here.
Thousands of residences, lots more planned for new Marble Falls community
A North Texas developer is gearing up to break ground on the first phase of a transformative mixed-use project in Marble Falls, which eventually could bring nearly 2,000 homes, hundreds of apartments, commercial space and sports fields to the Hill Country city....
lege+water: June 2021 Update
Every month during the 87th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature, Dr. Todd Votteler and Dr. Robert Mace have brought you an update on water-related legislation. And while not one, but two special sessions lie ahead on the horizon (redistricting, federal COVID-19...
Texas reimagines the fight against floods
For more than 60 years, the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has been tasked with leading Texas efforts in securing the state’s water supply through the conservation and development of Texas’ water resources. The agency’s framework for fulfilling this mission...
What’s a 100-year flood? A hydrologist explains
A 100-year flood, like a 100-year storm, is one so severe it has only a 1% chance of hitting in any given year. Unfortunately, many people believe that if they experienced a 100-year flood this year, they will not see another one like it for 99 years. It just doesn’t...
How do animals safely cross a highway? Take a look.
The engineers were used to building overpasses for vehicles, not wildlife. But every spring and fall, collisions with mule deer and pronghorn spiked in the Pinedale region of Wyoming, where Route 191 disrupted the animals’ age-old migration paths. So the state...
Feds release first slice of water bill assistance funds
The Department of Health and Human Services released $166.6 million in federal funds for a program to help low-income residents pay off their past-due water bills or to reduce their water rates. The new program — temporary for now, though some Democrats want permanent...
Using science for equitable policies: A framework for climate scientists
Climate science is having its moment. With the recent administration changes, climate change is getting attention at the national level through much-needed bold and ambitious federal policy developments. “We must listen to science — and act,” the Biden administration...
What future do we desire for the Trinity Aquifers?
Across the Hill Country, residents and visitors depend on the groundwater stored in the Trinity Aquifers as water supply and to provide baseflow through springs that keep iconic creeks and rivers flowing. Residents have a voice through the regional planning process to...
SJW group announces that its Texas subsidiary has filed applications to acquire the Kendall West Utility in Kendall County and Bandera East Utility in Bandera and Medina Counties, Texas
SJW Group (NYSE: SJW) today announced that its Texas subsidiary, SJWTX Inc., which does business as Canyon Lake Water Service Company, is planning to acquire the Kendall West Utility operating in Kendall County and the Bandera East Utility in Bandera and Medina...
Director’s Notes – July 2021: Join as a Sustaining Neighbor and Receive a Special Gift!
Dear Hill Country Neighbors, It finally feels like we’re reaching the light at the end of a long tunnel. Summer in the Hill Country, particularly when fueled by abundant spring rains, is a season for slowing down—appreciating the shade of an ancient oak tree, the cold...
Turning off half of city lights at night could cut bird mortality by up to 60 percent
Like an insect attracted to a bug zapper, artificial light is harming migratory birds by throwing them off course and causing deadly collisions. Now, a new study highlights just how beneficial switching off the lights can be. The work, published in the Proceedings of...
Texas matters: the state of climate change denial
Global climate change has already had observable effects on the environment. Glaciers have shrunk, the sea is rising, animal ranges have shifted and there are more intense heart waves. Scientists have high confidence that global temperatures will continue to rise for...
Test results show significant declines in blue-green algae toxicity in Lake Travis
New test results from Lake Travis indicate a significant decline in the toxicity of blue-green algae, and for the first time since the spring, only trace amounts of the toxins were present, according to a June 22 update from the Lower Colorado River Authority. Algae...
Texas leaders made a big mistake ignoring water this session. But not all hope is lost.
Last weekend I paddled on the Blanco River with my family. We swam in spring-fed swimming holes, fly fished and lounged in shallow sections of the river, which was flowing nicely thanks to recent rains that ended drought conditions across Texas. Read more from Vanessa...
Hill Country Alliance Limited Edition Design – Meet the Artist: Olivia Gray
The Hill Country Alliance is proud to announce the release of a limited edition Hill Country creation, designed by local artist Olivia Gray. Olivia Gray resides in Wimberley and is a junior at Southwestern University in Georgetown. She is working on a double major in...
The Florida Wildlife Corridor is nearly 18 million acres of natural wonder. The state just took a significant step to keep it alive
Wedged between Florida's two coasts are some of the richest ecosystems in the US, teeming with native wildlife that prefers to be hidden from human view. The animals' natural lives for the most part remain a secret to Floridians. To catch glimpses of them in the wild,...
Study warns Texas must address future of groundwater policy
Long-term water security is essential for the future of Texas, and the state acutely needs a common law system that can balance world-scale agricultural activity, industrial development and urban growth while also protecting private property rights, according to new...
Reboot: The Texas Land Trends Data Explorer
In Texas, rural lands define our state’s identity. Whether it be for the agricultural products produced, natural resources and wildlife habitat maintained, or expanses of wide-open spaces left untouched for their intrinsic beauty, our state’s undeveloped acreage plays...
Design of portion of Dry Comal Creek Hike and Bike Trail underway in New Braunfels
New Braunfels City Council approved an agreement with San Antonio-based civil engineering firm Bain Medina Bain, Inc. during the June 14 council meeting for the final design of a portion of the Dry Comal Creek Hike and Bike Trail. The agreement allows for an...
Behold the splendid and fragile beauty of the Hill Country’s keystone river
From April through October, I swim in the Blanco. It is one of the greatest pleasures I know. It’s a pleasure I share with growing crowds of both locals and visitors who converge on the river’s cypress-lined banks at places like Blanco State Park in Blanco; Blue Hole...
Jacob’s Well Is A Source Of Life For The Wimberley Valley. What Would Happen If It Were To Stop Flowing For Good?
Jacob’s Well is more than just a swimming hole. It’s also a message bearer: It lets people know how much groundwater is in the aquifer beneath them. And this year — for the fourth time in its recorded history — the water at Jacob’s Well stopped flowing for a couple...
New law to allow more Texas cities to become Dark Sky communities
A new Texas law will make it easier for communities to pursue International Dark Sky designations. Texas Senate Bill 1090, authored by state Sen. Dawn Buckingham (R-Lakeway) and state Rep. Andrew Murr (R-Kerrville), was signed into law on Monday, June 14, by Gov. Greg...
Hays County OKs Cape’s Dam Agreement
The Hays County Commissioners Court approved an interlocal agreement and memorandum of understanding with the City of San Marcos regarding the Cape’s Dam Complex. The approved MOU provides a framework for collaboration and cost-sharing in regard to the proposed...
Austin plans new tactic against dog-killing algae: Starve it out
Up until a few years ago, Austinites didn’t much worry about poisonous blue-green algae sickening them and killing their dogs. Then in 2018, flooding upstream of Austin sent massive amounts of runoff down the Colorado River and into area lakes. That runoff contained...
Barton Creek Habitat Preserve conservation to continue ‘in perpetuity’ following Austin acquisition
A 10-0 vote by Austin City Council on June 3 ensured the permanent preservation nearly 4,100 acres of land home to one of the area's unique wildlife habitats and key sources of drinking water. Council via consent June 3 approved the purchase of a conservation easement...
San Antonio, Hill Country Drought Officially Over
The National Weather Service reports all of Bexar and surrounding counties and the Hill Country are no longer in drought conditions as of the end of May. Forecasters said drought conditions started spreading west to east into Bexar County in October of last year. Read...
Solutions to Blanco wastewater discharge seeing new light
The impact of the election May 1 on Blanco citizens and their Wimberley Valley neighbors downstream along the Blanco River was immediately apparent at the city’s May 11 council meeting under new mayor Rachel Lumpee, joined by new council member Connie Barron. A...
SAWS board gets briefing on sewage line options for development near protected land
A San Antonio Water System plan to avoid routing sewage lines across environmentally sensitive land is not only less controversial than the original proposal but also less expensive, according to SAWS officials. The utility’s board received the briefing Tuesday on a...
New Braunfels one step closer to hike-and-bike trail
New Braunfels is one step closer to a new hike-and-bike trail. On May 20, the New Braunfels Economic Development Board approved a $375,000 deal with San Antonio-based engineering firm Bain Medina Bain to finalize design on a portion of the Dry Comal Creek Hike and...