News
A World Without Rivers
We hardly take notice of the drying of our rivers until they are entirely gone. How many of the residents of Austin, Texas know that the Colorado that flows through the heart of their city is in summer now only a tenth of what it once was? Tragically, the list of...
The American Lawn is now the largest single ‘crop’ in the U.S.
The Llano Watershed Alliance week in review is always a must read: The #1 Irrigated Crop in America, Godzilla El Nino Heading our Way, Celebrate 25 years of the Eckert James River Bat Cave. Subscribe to this weekly newsletter to stay updated on news for everyone who...
Green Home Tour Sept. 19 in Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg SHINES will host their 3rd Annual Green Home Tour on Saturday, September 19. The 2015 tour of homes will spotlight local examples of sustainable-living practices at 10 homes. Sustainable practices to be showcased on the tour will include solar...
First six miles of the Violet Crown Trail opens in Austin
The Hill Country Conservancy (HCC) recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the first six mile segment of the Violet Crown Trail. HCC Executive Director George Coffer, Sunset Valley Mayor Rose Cardona, and Council Member Ellen Troxclair spoke at the event, which...
Teacher Celebration at the Wildflower Center, Sept. 3
The Children in Nature Collaborative of Austin is holding a Teacher Celebration September 3rd at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Stroll through the gardens at the Wildflower Center and visit with CiNCA member organizations and learn about the variety...
The best time to plan for drought is when we aren’t in one
Drought is nothing new to Texans; it is frequent and inevitable. Across much of Texas the end of the current drought is being declared—soil moisture levels are nearing normal and ephemeral rivers are flowing again—while other portions of the state are already on the...
The Safety Valve
"Water transfers may play a role in Texas' water future, but as we explore in The Safety Valve, there is plenty of reason to believe they won't solve the problem of fresh groundwater depletion on their own. Only regulation can do that, and as we see in visits to West...
It takes a Texan
"On a Saturday morning, we stood with Gary Perez at the edge of what in more recent years has come to be called Aquarena Springs. There was a sense that time had been suspended, or that somehow, all times were happening at once. Preparations were being made for a...
Three SWIFT projects funded in the Texas Hill Country
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) recently approved approximately $3.9 billion in financial assistance from the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT). The inaugural round of SWIFT financing will be distributed to 21 applicants for approximately $1...
Town Hall Meeting on New Groundwater Protection in Hays County
How will new state law affect your well and your drinking water? Get answers and ask questions at a town hall meeting Monday, Aug. 17, at the Wimberley Community Center, 6-8 p.m. In May, after public protests against a large wholesale groundwater exportation project,...
Threat to Tiny Golden-Cheeked Warbler Is Disputed in Texas
"These days, the diminutive songbird, which weighs less than an ounce, is at the center of a classic environment-versus-development confrontation over emerging efforts to end its 25-year status as an endangered species. Those who are calling for the delisting maintain...
Learn more about groundwater policy and management at the Texas Groundwater Summit
The Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts (TAGD) will host their 4th Annual Groundwater Summit August 25-27, 2015 at the Embassy Suites San Marcos -- Register Today! The event provides a great mix of expert presentations on all areas of groundwater management and...
Texas Facing Major Climate Change Impacts, Study Finds
Texas probably will see a sharp increase in heat-related deaths and coastal storm-related losses in the coming decades if nothing is done to mitigate a changing climate, according to a new study commissioned by a bipartisan group of prominent policymakers and company...
Reforming the Endangered Species Act: Industry Groups Seek to Dismantle Our Country’s Most Purposeful Conservation Tool
Recognizing that, as a “consequence of economic growth and development,” many “species of fish wildlife and plants” in the United States are on the brink of extinction, Congress passed the Endangered Species Act in 1973 with overwhelming bipartisan support. Today, the...
Pedernales Newsletter Shares News and Events from the Basin
The third installment of the Hill Country Alliance's new Pedernales Newsletter went out on July 14th and included some exciting updates about projects in the Pedernales basin. The Pedernales Newsletter is sent via email once a month to landowners, residents and...
Story series on Texas Groundwater Depletion Launches
State’s surface waters originate from groundwater, yet fractured resource management means both may become less reliable: The Texas Center for Policy Studies recently launched Our Desired Future, a multimedia project to educate Texans on the interconnections between...
The Connecting Thread
The behavior of water on and beneath private land is the key to preserving water for Texans in the 21st century and into the 22nd, a grand challenge that is uniquely Texan. Other western states have urban populations far removed from their water sources, but that’s...
Keeping Houses Out of Texas Floodwaters Could Cost Billions
Back on May 26th, Houston woke up to flooded freeways and neighborhoods as bayous overflowed their banks. In the Texas Hill Country, homes and bridges washed away and levees broke. But super-heavy rainfall is nothing new in Texas and in fact, it was years earlier that...
2015 Eco-Summit Series “Teaming With Wildlife” begins July 24 in San Antonio
This summer, in an effort to keep common wildlife common and avoid endangered species, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is partnering with the nonprofit Teaming With Wildlife Coalition to offer four, full-day Eco-Summit forums throughout Texas. Anyone...
Teacher’s Day out at the Science Mill, August 5-7
K-12 teachers, administrators and employees will receive free admission to the Hill Country Science Mill on August 5-7. Enter now for a chance to win free passes and $100 to spend in the Science Store. Please share with your friends and colleagues!...
Keep Texas Wild: Protect Golden-cheeked Warbler
Joan Marshall, Travis Audubon Society: Texas is known for our Wild West spirit. But if several moneyed interest groups have their way, Texas will become much less wild. As the American-Statesman reported July 2, several groups backed by former Texas Comptroller Susan...
Agenda 21: A conspiracy theory puts sustainability in the crosshairs
Theorists argue that Agenda 21, a 23-year-old non-binding UN resolution that suggests ways for governments and NGOs to promote sustainable development, is the linchpin in a plot to subjugate humanity under an eco-totalitarian regime. Greg Harman, a San Antonio...
State Comptroller approves $300,000 to investigate monarch decline
Texas is getting involved in the investigation into why the monarch butterfly population has declined by more than 80% over the past 20 years. Concerns that the butterfly could become a federally-listed endangered species have prompted Comptroller Glen Hegar to fund...
HCA Co-Sponsors Soil for Water Event
Many Texans are unaware of the importance of soil health in catching and retaining rainwater. Microorganisms build soil organic matter and allow it to function like a sponge: holding rainwater for long periods of time and releasing it slowly into plants, springs,...
El Nino 2015
It seems like there has been a lot of discussion of an El Nino pattern this fall and the potential for higher than normal rainfall. While Texans try to make the most of the rains while we've got them, we wondered- what causes this pattern and what are the impacts in...
Industrial Wind Development Public Meeting July 16 in Mason
Save Our Scenic Hill Country Environment (SOSHCE) will be hosting a meeting July 16th to educate landowners about industrial wind development in Mason and Menard Counties. SOSHE’s recent member update also includes information about attempted legislation to end CREZ,...
The History of Central Texas Floods
Raymond Slade, Jr., Registered Professional Hydrologist has been studying water resources in Central Texas for decades. Catastrophic flooding is not new to this region. Raymond’s studies of historic floods in the Hill Country provides lessons for the entire Hill...
DSHS student grant to fund rainwater catchment system
Elena Lundeen wanted to help the water conservation problem, a need her community knows all too well. Her small idea became a grant-winning initiative that will continue to change the landscape of her school. Lundeen, a Dripping Springs junior, won a $1,000 grant from...
Protecting the nighttime view simple
Erin Green, Llano County Journal: Although light from Austin and other nearby cities is starting to threaten the nighttime darkness of the areas surrounding Llano and the rest of the Texas Hill Country, it is not too late to reverse the trend and protect the views of...
Scenic Texas Announces New Scenic Hill Country Chapter and Leadership
Scenic Texas, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the visual character of Texas, announced the formation of its newest chapter, Scenic Hill Country, bringing the total number of state chapters to eight. The Scenic Hill Country Chapter will...