News
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...
Guarding San Antonio’s Eternal Water Future
“The path to a secure water future – and thus, our economic prosperity – was largely written when this area was first settled over the Edwards Aquifer centuries ago. Sound planning will be necessary to ensure clean and abundant water for generations to come and to...
ASR and Texas water resources: A tool whose time has come?
With booming water demands and shrinking supplies, water resource managers in Central Texas and beyond are increasingly considering ASR -- aquifer storage and recovery -- as a tool for generating reliable groundwater supplies. While ASR is becoming more common...
Milan J. Michalec elected President of the Cow Creek GCD
CCGCD installs new director; reassigns board positions May 29, 2014 By Carline Schwartz, News Editor, The Boerne Star Three Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District directors were officially sworn in by Kendall County Clerk Darlene Herrin during a regular meeting...
Award-winning rainwater capture system crowning achievement of retiring Bandera High teacher
Congratulations to Brad Flink, who’s RWH project was honored by the Texas Water Development Board with its Texas Rain Catcher Award. HCA’s Rainwater Revival grant program provided support to document this project and create a model for other campuses. The stormwater...
Meet Andrew Murr
Andrew Murr will face a Libertarian challenger in November to represent District 53 in the Texas House of Representatives. This District includes Bandera, Crockett, Edwards, Kerr, Kimble, Llano, Mason, Medina, Menard, Real, Schleicher, Sutton counties. Texas House of...
Managers Discuss Hill Country’s Water Resources and the Drought
Livestock Weekly May 22, 2014 By Colleen Schreiber SAN ANTONIO – The Trinity Aquifer and the Upper Guadalupe River are major components of the hill country’s available water supply. While these water resources typically do not receive as much attention as the more...
Thinking about becoming a Master Naturalist?
The Hill Country Master Naturalists are now recruiting for their Fall Class. With a mission to “develop a corps of well-informed volunteers to provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within...
EPA Releases EnviroAtlas Ecosystem Mapping Tool
May 27, 2014 WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released EnviroAtlas, a web-based interactive tool that integrates over 300 separate data layers, helps decision makers understand the implications of planning and policy decisions on our...
Lawn alternatives gain popularity but ‘carpet grass’ remains norm
By Elena Tucker, Features Writer The Boerne Star Part one of a two-part series At a glance, Boerne shows up as an emerald dot on a NASA map of lawns. The area’s cultivated green St. Augustine or “carpet” grass also figures as a fraction of Duke University data in...
Support for Low Impact Development
May 27, 2014 Central Texas Land/Water Sustainability Forum. No one doubts that conventional land development impacts our creeks and lakes. Urban land development with buildings, roads, and other impervious surfaces allow less rain to soak into the ground, so the...
Wildscape proves to be sustainable landscape alternative
“As the drought deepens, as water rationing becomes the norm, as human population booms and as indicator wildlife populations drastically decline, people are stuck wondering what kind of world we will leave to the next generations,” Read more from George Cates of...
Western Hill Country Ranch honored by TPWD
Congratulations to Ruthie and Johnnie Russell for being recognized by TPWD as a Lone Star Land Steward. The Russell’s chose to enact a conservation easement on their property because of growing pressure of land fragmentation. “Ranchettes make it difficult to conserve...
Environmental and economic protection through water supply development
May 22, 2014 Tom Hegemier, Central Texas Land Water Sustainability Forum Recent rainfall in Austin delivered more water to the Gulf, but little to lakes Travis and Buchanan, the area’s water supply reservoirs. With near average rainfall the last two years and the...
Electric Project Open House Draws Large Crowd
*MAY 27 UPDATE: Top 10 FAQs on transmission line routing cases before the PUC LCRA is requesting input using its Project Questionnaire. Persons wishing to offer input regarding the project are encouraged to compete and return the form by May 30, 2014, as requested by...
Seeing Stars in Dripping Springs
As Texas booms, the state is less and less able to brag that the stars at night are big and bright deep in the heart of Texas. In the big cities and the sprawling suburbs, and even in Far West Texas near the McDonald Observatory, light pollution is increasingly...
Comfort Heritage Foundation Recognizes David K. Langford
Comfort Heritage Foundation Recognizes David K. Langford for His Local Stewardship and the Book, Hillingdon Ranch: Four Season, Six Generations May 20, 2014 Comfort, TX - The Comfort Heritage Foundation announced the nominations for their annual awards for outstanding...
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Awarded Grant to Support Landowners in the Pedernales River Watershed
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) was recently awarded $100,000 in grants to protect the Texas state fish, Guadalupe Bass, in the Pedernales River basin. TPWD will be working with the Hill Country Alliance to identify willing landowners for habitat...
Judge’s Corner: Judge makes his stance on groundwater
Water is not only a property right, it is essential to the health and welfare of all Texas citizens. For that reason, groundwater conservation districts are authorized by Texas law to protect this resource of our great state. There are now 100 such districts...
San Marcos to offer rebates for rainwater harvest systems
The City of San Marcos Public Works Department is implementing a new program to help its customers conserve water. Through this program water customers can receive rebates for purchasing and installing rain barrels and large rainwater tank systems. Private home...