News
What’s all this fuss about a Parkway through Oak Hill?
The Fix 290 Coalition, a group of over 40 organizations and businesses and 2,800 petition signers, have been advocating for a “parkway" concept to move traffic through Oak Hill and protect the original character and unique natural environment of the area for more than...
CARDtalk: CARD Hosts a Community Water Meeting September 11
CARD to host a free community meeting this Thursday to discuss why water is an increasingly critical issue, and how we can all be part of improving the outlook. Speakers include Andy Sansom, Executive Director of the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, Steve...
A Tale of 2 Water Districts: 1 Aquifer, 2 Strategies
A decade ago, prospective water marketers easily secured the rights to pump more than 20 billion gallons of water annually from the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in Central Texas’ Burleson County. The company now holding those rights, BlueWater, is negotiating a $3 billion...
As Drought Persists, Cities Look to Texas ‘Lakes’ to Answer Needs
If the City of Austin continues with its plan to shut down Decker Power plant, Decker Lake, a little known lake that has fed the power plant for more than 50 years, could end up serving as the city's new reservoir. Read more from State Impact.
Cibolo Nature Center & Farm to open restored historic homestead at Herff Farm on Sept. 20 amid festivities
The historic Herff Homestead at the Herff Farm at the Cibolo will open to the public for the first time since its restoration was completed from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, sponsored by the Cibolo Nature Center & Farm. Learn more
Austin Sierra Club talks water in two upcoming meetings
Bruce Melton discusses how Texas' changing weather patterns are affecting our water supply and HCA's Sharlene Leurig discusses the newly formed Austin Water Resources Task Force water in two upcoming meetings of the Austin Sierra Club, September 9 and November 11....
City Planning for San Antonio Growth Bomb
“Bexar County Commissioners reviewing their own 2015 proposed budget, were told by county planners on Tuesday that the biggest challenge they face now and in the coming years is the startling rate of population growth in the far reaches of the county, well beyond the...
Watershed Stewardship for the Edwards Aquifer Region, a Low Impact Development Manual
The Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance (GEAA) has announced completion of a helpful low impact development publication. This manual was designed for developers, landscape architects, and all of those who live on, or are planning to build over our fragile aquifer...
Fredericksburg SHINES Hosts Second Annual Sustainability-Green Home Tour
Fredericksburg SHINES, a local organization dedicated to educating the public about sustainable living, will host their second annual Fredericksburg fall tour of homes to spotlight local examples of sustainable, green-living practices. Learn more
Green Spaces Alliance’s Picture Your World Youth Photography Project 2014-2015
Open to youth ages 8-18, the Picture Your World weekend workshops teach photographic composition and technique through hands-on demonstration, and constructive critique. Participants will produce a visual memory of their day and begin a creative portfolio while...
California’s water crisis and new groundwater rules are worth learning about
“Streams and lakes have long since shriveled up in many parts of the state, and now the aquifers — always a backup source during the region’s periodic droughts — are being pumped away at rates that scientists say are both historic and unsustainable.” Read more from...
Travis County Wants Your Feedback – Land Water and Transportation Plan Ready for Review
The population of Travis County is expected to grow 50% by 2035 for a total of 1,500,000 people. Planning for growth outside of the city limits is critical for the county to continue to thrive in a sustainable manner. As such, Travis County needs your feedback to...
The City of Fredericksburg takes steps to protect the night sky
Efforts to limit the nighttime glow in and around Fredericksburg were buoyed this month as the council approved an outdoor lighting standards ordinance, which will primarily affect new residential and commercial development. A complete draft of the ordinance can be...
Texans Speak Up for Beautiful Highways: TxDOT withdraws proposal for taller billboards
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has withdrawn its June 2014 proposed rule change that would have allowed billboards along federal highways to be taller. After receiving public comments from more than 900 Texans and 15 organizations in opposition to...
Workshop Will Feature Discussion of Proposed Blumenthal Substation and Transmission Line
A landowner workshop has been planned for all interested in, or potentially impacted by, the proposed substation and transmission line planned for the Blumenthal area, September 6 near Fredericksburg. Learn more
Truck Stop in Hill Country Threatens Llano River
Hill Country preservationists are calling on state officials to act after Pilot Flying J, the nation’s largest truck stop operator and diesel fuel retailer, broke ground on an environmentally sensitive site in Junction only a few hundred yards from the banks of the...
SAWS proposing Burleson County pipeline – questions raised
SAWS presented plans for a 142 mile pipeline from Burleson County to San Antonio at a recent community forum at UTSA. Learn more and watch a video from SAWS news here. While the plan promises 50,000 acre feet of non-Edwards water annually, a Texas Public Radio segment...
The City of Dripping Springs is planning for a “World Class Trail”
“The routes will connect destinations beyond Dripping Springs and will take advantage of opportunities to reach the proposed Violet Crown Trail and other regional trails and parks planned for Central Texas.” Read more and get involved. The City of Dripping Springs is...
Save the date for the October 8th Water Forum: Securing our Water Future
“Innovative Strategies and Hard Choices for a Secure Future” will be moderated by Robert Rivard and hosted at the Historic Pearl Stable in San Antonio. A stellar line-up of speakers includes: Berto Guerra, Bill West, Andy Sansom and Karen Guz. Learn more and mark your...
San Antonio Mulls $3 Billion Water Supply Project
Depending on whom you ask, San Antonio might either be on the cusp of securing its water future at a relatively low cost, or it is pinning most of its hopes on a multibillion-dollar boondoggle that could diminish the water supply for fast-growing Central Texas and...
NPSOT Native Landscape Certification Program – Register Now for 2014 Fall Classes
The Native Plant Society of Texas Native Landscape Certification Program is a series of courses that teaches best practices for native plant landscape and habitat preservation. Targeted audiences are homeowners, native plant enthusiasts, landscape architects,...
Lack of Shared Dream Challenges Management of Rural, Open Space
“The population growth has had some obvious impacts, For one, there are a lot more straws, big and small, taking from the groundwater supply.” David K. Langford tells the audience at a recent private lands summit hosted by the Texas Wildlife Association. Read more...
Hill Country Alliance Announces Winners of Photography Contest for 2015 Calendar
“It’s through photographs like these that we help share the importance of protecting our Hill Country environment, and one of the reasons our calendar has been so popular with both area residents and nature lovers worldwide,” said Milan J. Michalec, board president of...
Our Desired Future at the Legislature and in the Field
“The 2013 Legislative Session may have been all about water, but it's clear from the Committee testimony that 2015 will be the year of groundwater. Across Central Texas, groundwater is the next big play. But is it really the only alternative to drought-stricken...
TPWD to Host Public Meeting on Kronkosky State Natural Area tomorrow (August 13)
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will host a public meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 13 regarding the kinds of facilities and recreational uses being considered for the Albert and Bessie Kronkosky State Natural Area. The meeting will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30...
The next Certified Interpretive Guide Training begins Aug. 20 at Westcave Preserve
There are only a few spots left for the next Certified Interpretive Guide Training Workshop at the beautiful Westcave Preserve. Learn how to engage hearts and inspire action to protect our beautiful Hill Country.Learn more
Hill Country Land Trust Celebrates 15 Years
August 12, 2014 In 1998, a group of like-minded people including Trudy Vars Harris, Terry Hershey, and others from the Fredericksburg area started meeting as a group with the goal in mind to conserve and protect the Hill Country from the break up of family lands,...
During Drought, Once-Mighty Texas Rice Belt Fades Away
“This is the state’s youngest land – a vast accumulation of sediment, slowly left behind during ages of floods. From the high Hill Country, the Colorado River carried dirt down to the flatlands, extending Texas’ coastline over millions of years. The region was...
Subdivision on subdivision violence in the Texas Hill Country
"This is often the case -- and is happening more and more in the increasingly crowded Hill Country suburbs of Austin: Recent transplants bristling at the prospect of new development next door. It's probably true that a new subdivision will ruin Hill Country views --...
Rainwater Revival Returns to Dripping Springs on October 25
Look to the sky for your water supply—and learn how to capture and use it at the fifth annual Rainwater Revival, which returns to Dripping Springs on October 25. The popular and free edu-fest event is put on by the Hill Country Alliance. “We began our...