News
Artificial Light at Night May be Contributing to “Ecological Armageddon”
In 2017, drastic declines of insects were reported by a team of scientists in Germany. The research indicated that the biomass of flying insects decreased more than 75% over the 27-year study period. In a new study published in the Annals of Applied Biology,...
Opposition to sand crusher grows
As the news of a planned sand dredging and crushing operation along Sandy Creek has spread, controversy about this commercial project has grown. Property owners upstream and downstream from the proposed site on the Nash Ranch are voicing environmental, lifestyle and...
Well’s gone dry: aquifers taking a hit during the drought
“It’s not out of the ordinary to have wells drop in a severe drought like this, when there is a really terrific shortage of groundwater,” said John Fisher, a Bell County commissioner, who lives in southern Bell County near the Williamson County line. As of July 10,...
Hoping to raise water awareness, state returns to a famous ad man
An Austin advertising legend who once helped sell “Don’t mess with Texas” is now working with state officials on a sequel: a campaign to get Texans to cherish water, from their lakes to their sinks. Roy Spence, one of the founders of ad giant GSD&M, is partnering...
From the Banks of Sandy Creek
It's called Sandy Creek for a reason. It's fairly long and, coming up to its mouth, pretty wide, and like many Hill Country creeks, when it's not flooding, it usually has a little bit of water and quite a bit of sand. It's pretty, though, largely unspoiled as it runs...
Hays County resolution requests hearing over permit to pump water from Middle Trinity Aquifer
The Hays County Commissioners Court unanimously signed a resolution Tuesday to ratify a letter requesting a contested case hearing from the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District over a permit application by Electro Purification, LLC. According to Hays...
July Director’s Notes from the Executive Director
In this month’s Director’s Notes, I’m excited to share our 2017 Annual Report with you, which highlights the Hill Country Alliance’s many achievements last year. One accomplishment we are very proud of is HCA’s commitment to our mission of bringing together an...
Will Austin stores restock single-use plastic bags now that the city’s ban is lifted?
Austin is ending its ban on free single-use plastic bags at stores and restaurants after a state Supreme Court ruling against a similar ban in Laredo. But repealing the ordinance, commonly known as the “bag ban,” doesn't mean every store will start handing them out...
Hill Country browse
The Texas Hill Country has the highest density of shrub-eating animals in the United States. Texas is home to about 4 million white-tailed deer, and about half of them live in the Hill Country and Edwards Plateau. In addition, Texas is home to more than 2 million...
Are deer evolving resistance to CWD?
If you hunt whitetails, you’ve probably already heard of chronic wasting disease (CWD). This neurodegenerative disease is caused by an odd sort of protein called a prion that develops in the brains of infected animals and causes abnormal behavior, loss of body...
River Revival: Restoring a once-vital waterway with recycled wastewater
The Santa Cruz River once flowed year-round in Tucson, AZ, supporting one of the largest mesquite forests in the world. But urban development and extensive groundwater withdrawals in recent years caused the river’s volume to dwindle. Today, city administrators hope...
Adding partner on Hays County area pipeline will cut costs by $60M
A Seguin-based water authority will be joining a $325 million pipeline project for the rapidly growing South Central Texas area, cutting costs by more than $60 million. The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority and Alliance Regional Water Authorityhave partnered to build...
Austin’s on the wrong side of the 100th meridian
The invisible line that divides the arid western part of the country from the wetter eastern half is on the move, and that has important implications for the Texas capital. Meet Robert Lee. Not the Confederate general, the town. Robert Lee, Texas is a ranching...
One Water: The future of land and water in Central Texas
For centuries, the Texas Hill Country has been a region defined by its water resources. Early European settlers traced the paths of the San Antonio, Nueces, Guadalupe, and Colorado Rivers, following their rocky beds, spring-fed tributaries, and shallow draws, no doubt...
Hays County residents fear the fight to protect their water was all for nothing
Hays County residents thought their water was saved. Houston-based Electro Purification had plans to pump 5.3 million gallons of water per day from the Trinity Aquifer. The area wasn't regulated by any groundwater conservation district, meaning the water was...
State Lawmakers: who owns the right to groundwater?
Many rural groundwater conservation boards are considering or have already decided to export some of their water to nearby urban centers. Farmers are concerned the state is developing a Robin Hood system for its water needs, one where landowners lose. Lt. Gov. Dan...
River cane eradication digs into third year
The joint project to eradicate Arundo donax, also called river cane or giant cane, is going into its third year along Barons Creek and Town Creek in and around Fredericksburg. The project combines Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Department of...
Aquifer district presents plan to harness EP
Almost 200 Hays County residents crammed into the Wimberley Community Center Monday to hear the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District’s (BSEACD) recommendation on a 2.5 million gallon per day pumping permit by Electro Purification (EP). BSEACD general...
EP request is an alarming threat to groundwater
"In 2014, when Electro Purification Corporation (EP) planned to pump massive amounts of water from the unregulated portion of the Trinity Aquifer in Hays County, residents worked with BSEACD to bring this region under regulatory oversight. We were successful in the...
The Fight for Comal County
"We're literally loving the Hill Country to death." These words of warning did not fall on deaf ears at a packed public forum, “Local Control Options for Hill Country Counties,” on June 5 at GVTC Auditorium. Attendees learned the only real chance they have of gaining...
Comal County Conservation Alliance moving forward with preservation efforts
Late last year, a group of concerned citizens began a conversation about land conservation in Comal County. As a result, a domestic nonprofit has been formed centered around conserving open spaces and other natural resources in the nation’s second-fastest growing...
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...