News
One Water – Blue Hole primary school
While COVID-19 dominates headlines in 2020, groundwater protection efforts in the Texas Hill Country are set to realize a tremendous success story when the first One Water school in Texas officially opens its doors for classes this fall! Blue Hole Primary School will...
Water access must be part of our COVID recovery
Wash your hands, save lives — it's a central message during the COVID-19 crisis. But what if you don't have basic running water, as we assume everyone does? Incredibly, too many Americans don't... Our recovery from COVID-19 must include a sincere investment in fixing...
NASA-SpaceX launches will boost science research on the space station
When NASA astronaut Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor arrived on the International Space Station for her six-month stay in June 2018, she was in awe of the vast array of science experiments on board. Before they launch, astronauts are only trained on about 20% of the...
Across Texas, diverse wetlands are benefiting Texans — and facing threats
“Historically, some people thought of wetlands like nasty places we need to fill in or useless land,” he said. “But really, they're among the most productive and valuable ecosystem in terms of the goods and services they provide to humans.” Nicknamed the kidneys of...
17 incredible photos from SpaceX’s historic mission to send NASA astronauts to the space station
SpaceX launched NASA astronauts into space for the first time on Saturday — the company's first human passengers and the first time people have ever flown a commercially developed spaceship. This mission was the product of NASA's Commercial Crew program, a partnership...
#BlackBirdersWeek aims to raise awareness, grow community
Just four days after the encounter between a white dog walker and African American birdwatcher Christian Cooper, a group of approximately 30 Black scientists, birders, and outdoor explorers have created a new awareness campaign to encourage birding among more people...
Resources for new landowners: Aldo Leopold’s five tools of wildlife management
Aldo Leopold - author, philosopher, conservationist, and so-called “Father of Wildlife Ecology” - is a pillar of the modern-day wildlife conservation and management movement. His revolutionary musings on the value of land and wildlife and his intentional management...
The credible case for a resilient water supply in Texas
In this time of crisis and deep uncertainty, one thing we must be able to depend on is our water supply. Access to water is critical to public health, fragile local economies, and food production. And the benefits are also intangible. Confined to our homes, many of us...
Farms that sell directly to consumers are thriving amid Coronavirus downturn
“We feel pretty lucky,” Chris Newman admits. Newman is the owner and operator of Sylvanaqua Farms, a small permaculture operation that sells and delivers directly to consumers. Meat may be running low in grocery stores as farmers across the country face dire decisions...
Texas Railroad Commission investigating Kinder Morgan for ‘multiple’ erosion complaints
The railroad commission said the complaints are regarding erosion control, and spokesperson R.J. DeSilva says “our investigation of the complaints is to ensure Kinder Morgan is in compliance with those commission rules.” He said the complaints starting coming in May...
Conservation and reuse of reclaimed wastewater: A marriage of necessity
As the population of Texas increases and requires a more abundant water supply, big decisions loom regarding new water sources, growing volumes of wastewater effluent, and the impacts on our land, environment, and other species in which we coexist. A new way of...
Hays County Parks & Open Space Advisory Commission call for projects
The Hays County Parks and Open Space Advisory Commission (POSAC) is now accepting project ideas for parks, open space and natural areas from cities, nonprofit organizations, homeowner associations, and other groups or individuals who see specific needs for their...
Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission awards $3.71 million in recreational trail grants to Texas communities
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission approved $3.71 million dollars in grants to fund 22 motorized and non-motorized recreational trail-related projects across the state. The National Recreational Trails Fund (NRTF) funds recreational trail construction, renovation...
SOS reaches agreement with Stratus Properties over new project, protecting land in the Barton Springs Zone
Stratus Properties (“Stratus”) owns some of the largest areas of land within the Barton Springs Zone. They own land all throughout Southwest Austin, including the site of the notorious 4,000-acre Barton Creek PUD, which was the catalyst of the SOS movement 30 years...
April Sansom selected to lead Selah Bamberger Ranch
Selah Bamberger Ranch Preserve is pleased to announce the selection of a new executive director to lead the nonprofit into the future. Selah’s board of directors has unanimously selected April Sansom for the position. Sansom will assume her new duties on June 11. “My...
Kinder Morgan crew punctures Vista Ridge water pipeline
A crew working on an energy pipeline punctured the Vista Ridge water pipeline in Caldwell County Thursday while digging in the area, said a San Antonio Water System official. The crew members were working on the Permian Highway Pipeline, a natural gas pipeline for...
Analysis: Coronavirus could threaten local property tax limits
A law passed less than a year ago requires cities and counties to get approval from voters any time they’re increasing property tax revenue by more than 3.5%. The old restriction was 8% — an increase that lawmakers decided was too generous, especially at a time when...
‘Meandering’ restores twists and turns on Lambert Creek in Ramsey County
A portion of Lambert Creek prone to flooding in eastern Ramsey County is being reshaped into a meandering stream, the latest attempt to restore metro area rivers that have become polluted ditches... “Almost 50 percent of stream channels across the state have been...
Planning for our State’s water future in the midst of a pandemic – You have a unique opportunity for your voice to be heard!
Planning for the future is always a challenge – even more so in the midst of a pandemic. Texans currently are coping with the uncertainties of the Covid-19 crisis – financial hardships, continuing hospitalizations and deaths, the impacts of “reopening” the economy...
Blanco landowner concerned about stormwater runoff from Kinder Morgan pipeline construction
Following severe weather in Central Texas Friday night into Saturday morning, a Blanco landowner said her property has continued to be impacted by runoff from nearby construction of Kinder Morgan’s Permian Highway Pipeline. The pipeline will be 42 inches wide and is...
Making strides – Southwestern Travis County Groundwater Conservation District names general manager
Kodi Sawin has been named general manager of the Southwestern Travis County Groundwater Conservation District — another step closer to becoming a fully functional organization... Voters across southwestern Travis County in November approved the district’s Proposition...
Congress could put Americans back to work through conservation
Why post-COVID economic recovery efforts should include investments in our public lands, fish and wildlife habitat, and outdoor recreation infrastructure Across the federal government, there are a suite of habitat restoration programs designed to benefit fish and...
Flood Infrastructure Fund abridged application deadline reminder and new on-demand presentations
Press Release: Texas Water Development Board – For Immediate Release: May 13, 2020 The Flood Infrastructure Fund (FIF) abridged application period will close at 5:00 p.m. on June 15. Please visit the FIF webpage to learn more and download the application. Abridged...
The Trailist: 4-mile extension connects Mission Reach and Medina River trails
Mile by painstaking mile, the City, Bexar County, and the San Antonio River Authority have made incremental progress on expanding concrete paths along local waterways, such as the San Antonio River and Leon and Salado creeks. However, the completion of 4.1 miles on...
Montana judge upholds ruling that canceled Keystone XL pipeline permit
A federal judge in Montana on Monday upheld his ruling last month that canceled an environmental permit for the long-delayed Keystone XL oil pipeline and threatened other oil and natural gas pipeline projects with delays... Morris said that the Army Corps did not...
Covid-19 crisis could decimate water utility revenue, worsen affordability problems
The widespread closure of restaurants, manufacturing facilities, theaters, dentist offices, and universities will reverberate not only in jobs reports. The shutdown will also have immediate and potentially long-lasting consequences for America’s water utilities and...
Fort Worth is moving forward to buy land despite the coronavirus budget crunch
The city expects to close this month on a $610,000 deal to buy the 53-acre Broadcast Hill property adjacent to the Tandy Hill Natural Area in east Fort Worth. It is the first step in a broad plan to buy open space ahead of urban sprawl, with the goal of preserving the...
As food supply chain breaks down, farm-to-door CSAs take off
From California to Maine, the movement known as community supported agriculture (CSA) is booming. Members buy a share of a farm's often organic harvest that gets delivered weekly in a box. CSA programs almost everywhere report a surge in memberships and growing...
Opinion: Hays County’s watersheds are under attack
It is undeniable—the Austin area is booming. More people have moved to Travis County and its surrounding area, including Hays County. As populations grow, so must infrastructure, but matters become complicated in ecologically sensitive areas like the one we call home....
Our need for the outdoors: The role of nature during COVID-19
Research on the connection between human health and exposure to nature started to get a foothold in the early 1980s. The renowned biologist E. O. Wilson hypothesized that humans had an innate connection to nature. At the same time, Roger Ulrich, a professor of...