News
Hill Country Alliance hosts government planning session
The Hill Country Alliance recently hosted a public forum in which government officials from Bandera, San Antonio, Austin and other Texas Hill Country communities came together to discuss implementing plans they have for their cities. The points of the forum were to...
Native fish and wildlife belong to all Texans
Texas is known for its vast land and abundant wildlife and fish, resources available for all to enjoy through hunting, fishing or wildlife viewing. Conservation of these resources for future generations results from a uniquely North American approach viewed as the...
Were hundreds of endangered salamanders stolen from a San Marcos lab?
Between 250 and 300 endangered salamanders disappeared from the San Marcos Aquatic Resources Center during the Thanksgiving holiday, baffling biologists and leaving them scrambling to replace backup populations kept on hand in case of a die-off in the wild. The...
Urban sprawl encroaching on San Antonio’s untouched natural areas
Thomas Hille follows a simple rule when he jogs along the winding trails of Friedrich Wilderness Park, an oasis of untouched land near the busy Interstate 10 corridor on the far Northwest Side. “If you always turn left, you never get lost,” Hille said with a laugh as...
Public trust doctrine at center of fight against privatization
By Colleen Schreiber, Livestock Weekly The Texas Foundation for Conservation, a new nonprofit, is joining the fight to protect Texas fish and wildlife for future generations. Opposed to privatization of wildlife, the group applauds the founders of the North...
Workman: The future of water in Texas
During the recent drought, my office heard constantly from people concerned about the lack of water in our lakes. But now that the lakes are full and people are enjoying their boats and beautiful sunsets, a lot of people seem to be under the impression that we are out...
Can you water your landscape less and still have thriving plants?
What if there was a way to irrigate less but still have good-looking landscapes? Thanks to research results recently published by the Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources (IRNR) and the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI), homeowners and...
If these walls could talk
The pictographs of the Pecos River have lasted millennia in a tempestuous desert, surviving mostly in silence. Now an archaeologist has cracked the code — and they can begin to speak again. September 12, 2012, was a long day, but a good one. For Carolyn Boyd it...
Plans withdrawn for 11-story Spicewood Springs hotel
An application to build a controversial 11-story hotel on Spicewood Springs Road has been temporarily withdrawn, according to an Austin city councilwoman. In an email message to her constituents, Sheri Gallo, who represents District 10, said developer David Kahn made...
Crazy ants are the new fire ants (and possibly worse)
The big problem in Texas: no local species appears to beat crazy ants. Hoping to underscore his point about a new pestilence that has arrived in Central Texas, ant researcher Edward LeBrun pointed to a Mason jar in his office. The jar looked like it was filled with...
Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge adds 520-acre property
The Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge grew by 520 acres this week with the addition of a coveted piece of Hill Country land known as Peaceful Springs. The parcel, south of Liberty Hill about 45 miles northwest of downtown Austin, features rolling hills,...
Public Fishing Access Areas Open Friday on Guadalupe River
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has signed temporary lease agreements with four Guadalupe River property owners to expand public access to the trout fishery downstream of Canyon Lake. Public fishing access will be available at Rio Guadalupe Resort...
Cibolo Nature Center and Herff Farm Where it’s going and where it’s been
On Monday, November 28 a presentation about Cibolo Nature Center and Farm was made to County Judge Darrel Lux and the Commissioner’s court. John Schilhab, President of the board of trustees, accompanied by Executive Director and Founder Carolyn Chipman Evans, gave a...
Commentary: Digital billboards are more trouble than some may suggest
In the recently published commentary, “Texas cities should upgrade billboard laws for digital age,” Russ Horton suggested that Austin and other Texas cities quickly “consider carefully crafting” digital sign agreements with sign owners or “find themselves left behind...
With Texas Building Boom Comes Higher Flood Risk
Over the years, planners, engineers, water quality experts and others have come to recognize how urban development can drastically alter the landscape and exacerbate flooding. The culprit, many experts believe, is impervious cover — the massive buildings, commercial...
Director’s Notes – November 2016
November 2016: Giving Thanks - Just like that, Fall is in full swing in the Hill Country and the gorgeous cooler weather reminds us the holidays will soon be here. November is a month for giving thanks, and I appreciate the opportunity to share with all of you a few...
How Urban Trees Can Save Lives
Heatwaves are one of the world's most underestimated threats, killing more than 12,000 people every year around the world—more than any other weather-related event. And heat is especially dangerous in cities, which tend to be much warmer than surrounding...
85th Texas Legislature – Committees discuss water issues as they prepare for next session
Are you curious what water topics will be discussed, debated and voted on during the upcoming 85th Texas legislative session? While it is still early, the following information will help you stay current on legislative activities. In between sessions, interim charges...
Dripping Springs residents oppose Onion Creek wastewater discharge
The city of Dripping Springs and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality listened to dozens of north Hays County residents and community members speak against a proposed permit that could allow the city to discharge up to 955,000 gallons of wastewater into Onion...
Dripping Springs residents upset over treated sewage dumping in Onion Creek
Treated sewage is being dumped into the Onion Creek Central Texas waterway as the area works to keep up with the all the people moving to Hays County. The tributary begins on the Blanco/Hays county line and snakes its way to the Colorado River in Austin. Along the way...
Online Survey Seeks to Understand Private Land Management Needs
TPWD Urging Private Landowners to Participate in Brief Questionnaire | Understanding Texas private landowner needs, preferences and concerns in operating and managing their land and natural resources is the purpose of a brief online questionnaire developed by the...
With $237.8 million Hays County bond package approved, planning begins
Hays County voters passed a $237.8 million bond package this week, but it may be at least another six months until ground is broken, County Commissioner Will Conley said Wednesday. The bond package included two propositions: $106.4 million for public safety...
Special Use Valuation in Texas – The Basics
Most Texas landowners are aware of the special use valuation methods available to agricultural landowners that allow property taxes to be calculated based on productive agricultural value, as opposed to market value of the land. Importantly, this is not a “tax...
Oil and gas drilling brightening the dark skies near McDonald Observatory
After a career as a stevedore in Florida, amateur astronomer James Lowrey retired 11 years ago to the Big Bend, drawn by the otherworldly viewing possibilities of its inky night skies. But Lowrey and other astronomers in the region fear that lights from flares and oil...
SAWS closes on financial deal for Vista Ridge pipeline project
The San Antonio Water System announced Thursday that the city-owned water system has closed the financial portion of the Vista Ridge Pipeline Project. With the financial closure construction is set to begin in February. Garney Construction is the lead builder of the...
Regional planning will boost I-35 corridor
A recent survey by the U.S. Census Bureau found that New Braunfels was the second-fastest growing city in the United States. Pflugerville is No. 11. Previously, San Marcos had been the fastest-growing city in the country. Georgetown claimed that spot in the latest...
Rainwater Revival Agenda Now Set: Speakers to Bring Messages of Free, Easy, Dependable Water
The annual Rainwater Revival is the largest gathering of rainwater harvesting businesses and contractors in the state. Now in its 7th year, the Revival continues to evangelize the message of delicious water that comes free from the sky and is so easy to capture, store...
Hays County voters have big choice on $237.8 million bond package
Hays County voters will have to make a choice at the polls this year on the county’s largest request since 2008: a $237.8 million bond package. The bond package has two propositions: $106.4 million for public safety facilities, including an expansion and renovation of...
In the Growing Battle Against Invasive Plants, Texas Lags Behind Other States
"One of the great ironies of battling invasive plants is that many of them are legal to buy and plant in Texas. The City of Austin is one the few cities in the country that keeps a list of locally invasive plants that it works to control. It includes the plants glossy...
The Source: Garney Failure Could Mean SAWS Takeover Of Vista Ridge Project
In a turn-about San Antonio Water System CEO Robert Puente said the water utility would take over the construction of the Vista Ridge Water Pipeline if Garney was unable to meet certain deadlines. In May, after the Spanish conglomerate Abengoa went bankrupt, the...