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News
Springs: The Canary in a Coal Mine for Groundwater
"Over the past 15 years, I have studied more than 1,000 springs, closely examining the relationship between springs and the health of the aquifer. I have discovered that springs are of inestimable value to plants and wildlife in landscapes where they occur and have...
Imagine the Future of the Hill Country
Hill Country Alliance Call for Photos Begins March 1 What is your vision of the Hill Country that future generations will inherit? The Hill Country Alliance (HCA) asks this question as it calls for photographs for its 2016 calendar. People here and elsewhere share a...
2015 Bennett Trust Land Stewardship Conference
The second Bennett Trust educational program will take place April 23-24, 2015 at the Inn of the Hills Resort and Conference Center, Kerrville. This first-of-its-kind conference, “Protecting the Legacy of the Edwards Plateau,” will bring the best and wisest,...
The Changing Science of Brush Control for Water Yield
While it was once widely assumed that heavy brush like cedar was keeping rainwater from recharging our streams and groundwater systems, science seems to indicate that it's not quite that simple. When done with care and an eye toward restoration, brush control can be...
Pioneers Youth Leadership Students Receive $24,000 in Scholarships and Cash Awards
Ten high school students in Pioneers Youth Leadership were awarded $24,000 in scholarships and cash awards last week at the Capital Farm Credit Rural Youth Entrepreneurship Competition at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. Jessica Dong from Knippa (rainwater...
TPWD profiles state’s least wanted water-hungry invasive species
A recent article in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine profiles some of the biggest problem species invading Texas lakes and waterways, and finds that the damage they are inflicting could cost Texans billions of dollars - and millions of gallons of water - each...
Get your birding on
Learn the Basics at the Cibolo Nature Center & Farm BOERNE, Texas – Birding is on the top 15 list of America’s favorite outdoor activities, and why not? It’s all about getting healthy outdoors, and it’s an inexpensive sport that spans the interests of older Baby...
Environment Texas looks at the best and worst project in the State Water Plan
Environment Texas Research and Policy Center has launched a new website - www.OurTexasWater.org highlighting some of the best and worst projects in the State Water Plan. The website features an interactive map where Texans can find projects in their communities that...
Provide Water Supply Tools to Counties
Op-ed by Tom Hegemier With supplies depleted by drought, the population growing daily and few large water projects in our immediate future, new development must minimize their water demands to protect the lakes, aquifers, and rivers. The counties surrounding the...
A Tribute to what has been lost to the Pilot Truck Stop in Junction
Many hill country people have been following the Flying J story in Junction; a poster child for ongoing threats to Hill Country rivers due to a lack of rules and oversight. View this video, read final testimony to the City of Junction below. City Main St. Truck...
Stay informed about EP Wells in the Hill Country Trinity Aquifer
As the story of unregulated groundwater in Hays County unfolds, there are two websites worth paying attention to for current information about citizen involvement. Citizen’s Alliance for Responsible Development (CARD) and Save Our Wells.
Friends of Enchanted Rock to host Enchanted “Rock Star” Festival Feb 21
Celebrates “dark sky” status with activities, music, stargazing The Friends of Enchanted Rock (FOER) and the staff of Enchanted Rock State Natural Area (ERSNA) are inviting the public to the first Enchanted “Rock Star” Festival on Saturday, Feb 21. The event will take...
PEC Board votes in support of groundwater legislation
At its Feb. 17 meeting, the Pedernales Electric Cooperative Board of Directors voted unanimously in support of legislation on groundwater production. The vote is a show of the Board’s stance on this issue, which is an important one for communities within the Co-op’s...
We need smart growth
Op-Ed by Ron Walton Printed in the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung I am writing as a private citizen as I do a monthly solicited letter to editor as a public official as the Comal/Guadalupe County elected volunteer for the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) board of...
Drought conditions worsen along Highland Lakes
Lower Colorado River Authority AUSTIN, Texas – Preliminary 2014 data shows the drought gripping the Highland Lakes is now the most severe drought the region has experienced since construction of the lakes began in the 1930s. As a direct result of the prolonged...
Book explores Central Texas County Courthouses
“As built artifacts, the county courthouses of central Texas tell a compelling story of a particular part of the country over a specific period of time. But more than a mere index of a building type, this project seeks to describe how county courthouses and the...
Net Blue Initiative Will Help Communities Pursue Water-Neutral Growth
“Communities need to reevaluate traditional planning approaches if they are to support increasing population and economic expansion in the coming years – particularly in areas with high growth and stressed water supplies,” said Mary Ann Dickinson, President and CEO of...
New Commitment to Bring Back the Monarch
This week the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced what many have noticed for the past 20 years- monarch butterfly numbers are on a precipitous decline. Over the past 25 years an estimated 970 million monarchs have disappeared, largely due to loss of...
Dripping Springs residents strategize how to stop proposed concrete plant
A plan to build a concrete batch plant northwest of Dripping Springs has created an uproar among some residents. The plant, which would be operated as Dripping Wet Concrete, has received a preliminary approval for an air quality standard permit, according to documents...
Austin selected for 2015 Designing Cities conference
The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) – considered one of the country’s most innovative transportation organizations – has selected Austin as the site of its 2015 Designing Cities Conference. Read more from Statesman.com.
Hays County Passes Water Resolution
On February 3 Hays County Commissioners’ Court took an important first step, in order to, start the process for legislation to address un-regulated commercial pumping of our groundwater resources. Commissioner Conley is encouraging all jurisdictions in Hays County and...
Stormwaters Brewing on the Llano River
“I am a rural Texan family farmer. I am a downstream stakeholder/landowner. I have surface water rights that run with my land. These rights and this river I guard intensely, for they are integral to my livelihood and my children’s future. As some say, they are...
NASA Satellite Will Improve Drought Forcasting With a Little Help From Texas
A satellite launched by NASA over the weekend could help people around the world tackle the challenges of drought. Researchers at the University of Texas will play a part in that mission that could also help forecast flooding and allow officials to better manage...
Two upcoming Night Sky events
There are two events this February where you can learn how to save money, preserve our night skies and enjoy some star gazing with friends and family. Join HCA for "Better Lights for Starry Nights" at the Johnson City Library Feb 17 and Enchanted Rock Star Festival...
Are we losing the Hill Country’s “Sense of Place”?
Take time to watch and consider “Where Am I? The Power of Uniqueness” A TED talk by Ed McMahon, former Scenic America President. Watch now
Tax proceeds for fixing up Texas state parks are being diverted
Two decades ago, the Legislature dedicated a portion of sporting goods sales-tax proceeds - levied on everything from kayaks to pingpong balls - to state parks. Instead of using these funds as advertised, typically, the bulk of the proceeds are diverted into the...
Statewide leaders release recommendations to confront water sustainability in Texas
A diverse group of water and energy experts, known as the Texas Roundtable on Water, will release a thorough set of recommendations at a Legislative Briefing on February 16, 2015 at the State Capitol in the Auditorium Room E1.004. The recommendations are designed to...
Aquifer Protection and Trail Expansion Headed for May 9 Ballot
With the San Antonio City Council’s Governance Committee’s unanimous approval, renewal for sales tax funding of the Edwards Aquifer Protection Program (EAPP) and Howard Peak Greenway Trails System is expected to go to the voters on the May 9 ballot. Read more from the...
Pioneers Youth Leadership students attend State Fourm
High school students from Hill Country area schools in Pioneers Youth Leadership attended the Pioneers State Leadership Forum in Austin last week. Over two days, the students worked with state agencies and elected officials to address the challenges faced by rural...
Rule of Capture Undermines Groundwater Regulation in Texas
In mid-western Hays County, a groundwater war is escalating. A private water supplier, with goals to pipe and sell close to 6,000 acre feet of water per year has strategically located a well field in an area of the Hill Country where the Trinity Aquifer is...