News
Certified Interpretive Guide Training Workshop Just added for August at Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center
Do you want to create meaningful experiences that last a lifetime? HCA is offering an Interpretive Guide Training workshop that will help you connect the minds and hearts of your audience to the beauty of nature and the mysteries of history. Register now, class size...
Conservation Groups Encourage Input on State Water Funding Rules
Public Comment Period Underway, Public Hearings Begin July 24 in San Antonio July 18, 2014 Austin)—The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has proposed agency rules to govern the use of a new state water project fund approved by voters last November with the passage...
To protect aquifer, limit SAWS service
“Now that San Antonio Water Systems is considering acquisition of new water supplies from the Vista Ridge project, the prospect that these supplies will be used to expand development over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone looms large. By approving these utility...
HCA’s Certified Interpretive Guide Training Workshop Returns October 14-17 in San Antonio
Do you want to create meaningful experiences that last a lifetime? HCA is offering an Interpretive Guide Training workshop that will help you connect the minds and hearts of your audience to the beauty of nature and the mysteries of history. Register now, class size...
Texas Tribune Q&A with Karen Ford
“There are two schools of thought. One is we are not going to build our way out of this, and I’ve heard other people say we’re not going to conserve our way out of this. I have to take issue. I think we really are going to have to adopt as a citizenry a new water...
LCRA and PEC Award $25,000 to Old Blanco County Courthouse for Masonry Repair
The Old Blanco County Courthouse Preservation Society will be able to repair masonry and stone on the building’s exterior, thanks to a $25,000 community development grant. The Lower Colorado River Authority and Pedernales Electric Cooperative provided the grant to...
How to Inspire Millions More Americans to Ride Bicycles
“Over the past five years we’re seeing an infrastructure revolution, a rethinking of our streets to accommodate more users — busways, public plazas, space for pedestrians and, of course, bike lanes,” said David Vega-Barachowitz of the National Association of City...
Proposed Truck Stop along the Llano River draws concerns
Hill Country conservationists, including HCA, have expressed concerns over a proposed Pilot Flying J truck stop to be constructed close to the North Llano River in Junction. “South Llano Watershed Alliance (SLWA) is a non-profit organization of landowners and...
Water Planners Focus on Bigger Texas, Not a Hotter One
After Texans overwhelmingly approved spending $2 billion in public funds on new water infrastructure projects last November, Republicans and Democrats alike hailed the state’s ability to solve its water woes in the wake of explosive growth and debilitating drought....
Plans for Texas 45 Southwest bring quest to document historical sites
"Environmentalists eye the proposed road’s path over the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer. Fans of the tollway note how it would provide an alternative to congested roadways. History enthusiasts, though, see what’s not on the map. They see land that the...
AgriLife Extension sets Living Waters Conference for August 19 in Junction
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will conduct the Living Waters Conference beginning at 8 am, August 19 at the Texas Tech Junction Center, 254 Red Raider Lane in Junction. “This is a well-rounded program that centers on topics relating to watersheds,...
HCC Ruby Ranch – A Conservation Success
The Hill Country Conservancy (HCC) announces a new conservation easement. 747-acre Ruby Ranch, a historical property in Hays County, is the final piece of the puzzle that will result in over 10,000 acres of contiguous open space. As rapid development continues in the...
Travis County attempts to guide surging growth in unincorporated areas
"One difficulty is that the county has little say in what ultimately gets built on unincorporated land." This issue is felt in Bexar, Kendall, Comal, Hays, Burnet, Bandera and all of the rapidly expanding counties throughout the Hill Country. Read the full story in...
Travis County attempts to guide surging growth in unincorporated areas
"One difficulty is that the county has little say in what ultimately gets built on unincorporated land." This issue is felt in Bexar, Kendall, Comal, Hays, Burnet, Bandera and all of the rapidly urbanizing counties throughout the Hill Country. Read the full story in...
Who Stole the Water?
As the water crisis in Texas continues to escalate, it is becoming a topic of national interest. This article illustrates that the prospect of dried up springs, streams, and lakes in our Hill Country and the bays of Texas is provoking anger far and wide. One thing to...
GEAA making a difference in and around San Antonio
The Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance (GEAA) has consistently opposed utility service contracts for new developments in the Edwards Aquifer watershed. Of particular concern are contracts for sewer service, which allow for much higher density development and have the...
Here’s 5 Challenges to Texas Water That Might Surprise You
"Beyond those two big-ticket items — how to pay for water supplies and how to regulate water underground — there are some other smaller challenges the state faces when it comes to water. At a hearing by the House Natural Resources Committee Thursday, several state...
Taller billboards could be coming to Texas
Billboards designed to get people’s attention could be getting taller. In a proposal the Texas Department of Transportation has rolled out, drivers on interstates, major roadways and rural areas could see signs as high as 65 feet tall. “It may seem like a small thing...
Green Spaces Alliance Hires New Executive Director
Green Spaces Alliance June 23, 2014 Julia Murphy has been tapped as the next Executive Director of Green Spaces Alliance of South Texas. As the creator of the San Antonio Bikes program at the City of San Antonio's Office of Sustainability, Julia has managed a number...
Rainwater harvesting communities find fertile ground in Hill Country
Reprinted with permission from the Austin American Statesman Sunday, June 22, 2014 By Andra Lim - American-Statesman Staff Developers and life partners Catherine Werth and Joe Wigley began the usual search for water once they decided to build a neighborhood just...
TxDOT considers new heights for billboards – public hearing Tuesday
“There [are] two big areas that are going to be impacted, all areas that are outside of cities because counties don't have any regulatory authority over signage... and cities who have not adopted a height regulation,” Lloyd said. “There are many cities in Texas that...
First Home Powered by the Sun in Mason
Mason County Habitat for Humanity completed the first Solar PV (photovoltaic) system powered home in the city of Mason. The house was constructed to the latest green building standards and to the 2102 building code energy requirements. Read more from Mason County News.
The Ebb and Flow of a Sustainable Water Plan
As the drought in Texas has intensified over the last several years, the water plan has taken on new prominence. A new report from the Texas Center for Policy Studies examines whether the planning process is producing useful results, and, if not, how it can be...
Better Lights for Better Nights Conference
The City of Dripping Springs, in partnership with the International Dark Sky Association Texas (IDA Texas), will host the Better Lights for Better Nights Conference on Friday, August 15, 2014 at the Dripping Springs Ranch Park Events Center. Details
Water quality training July 17 in Dripping Springs to focus on Onion Creek
June 23, 2014 Download Flyer DRIPPING SPRINGS – A Texas Watershed Steward workshop on water quality issues related to Onion Creek and Barton Springs will be held from 1-5 p.m. July 17 at the Dripping Springs Ranch Park, 1042 DS Ranch Rd. in Dripping Springs. The...
Keeping Rivers Flowing, final webinar this Wednesday, June 25
“Innovative Strategies to Protect and Restore Rivers,” is a 3-part webinar series designed to inform people about strategies to ensure the future health of Texas’ rivers, bays and estuaries. If you missed session one and two, you can find them posted on the Texas...
Sara Announces Inaugural Environmental Film Fest
Free festival to showcase award-winning nature films in honor of National Rivers Month The San Antonio River Authority (SARA) has announced it will host the agency’s first Environmental Film Fest to help commemorate National Rivers Month in June. The festival will...
Our Texas Drought, What’s Happening?
“If we want to have a Texas similar to the one our parents enjoyed, with good clean water, reasonably priced food, healthy rivers and quality bays, we are going to have to do the right thing starting at home and then carry those ideals to our counties, towns, and to...
Severe drought calls for conservation throughout basin
We all have a role to play in preserving our water supply June 9, 2014 By Timothy Timmerman Chair, LCRA Board of Directors There is nothing more important to our communities than a reliable water supply – our homes, our businesses, our very lives, depend on it. As we...
Debate over Substation near Fredericksburg
“(Public reaction) is ranging from really high negative feelings, just outrage. I’ve talked to some landowners that were in tears,” Katherine Peake, an area landowner who also serves as president of the Hill Country Land Trust, said. “I’m convinced it’s needed. It’s...