The mission of the Hill Country Alliance is to bring together a diverse coalition of partners to preserve the open spaces, starry night skies, clean and abundant waters, and unique character of the Texas Hill Country.
Our Work
Land
The Texas Hill Country region covers over 11 million acres in 17 counties of mostly privately held land.
Water
Thirteen Texas rivers begin in the Hill Country and provide water for millions of downstream neighbors.
Night Sky
The Hill Country sits on the edge of night and as development pushes westward, we are losing our view of the night sky.
Community
90% of Hill Country lands are in unincorporated areas where there is little authority to plan for growth.
Collaboration
HCA serves as the backbone organization and fiscal sponsor of the Texas Hill Country Conservation Network.
Latest News
Hundreds turn out to oppose permit for Hill Country wastewater plant
As many as 300 people packed into a ballroom of a DoubleTree hotel on the city’s Northwest Side for a public hearing to voice their opposition to the construction of a wastewater plant that would dump millions of gallons of treated effluent into Helotes Creek....
The Texas city where mermaids inspire river conservation
The first thing visitors to the central Texas city of San Marcos notice are the mermaids. They’re everywhere, in some form. At the playground, one of the city’s fiberglass mermaid statues stands seven feet tall, her tail and hair painted in a rainbow of neon colors....
Massive Texas Eclipse festival set for April 2024
Less than a year from now, the Highland Lakes will be ground zero for what is expected to be an incredible view of a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, and a festival of gigantic proportions is in the works. Texas Eclipse, which is set for April 6-8, will take...
All droughts are not created equal
Although Texas is better prepared for drought now than in the late 1900s, the state is less ready for a repeat of the drought of record—or worse—than it was back then. If that sounds counterintuitive, it’s because all droughts are not created equal. Before the...
‘Home in the Hill Country’ photo contest seeks submissions
The Hill Country Alliance is accepting entries now through May 31 for its 2023 photo contest, "Home in the Hill Country." Original photography should capture the landscapes, water sources, wildlife, plants, and diverse people and communities of this part of Texas. The...
7 percent of water pipes in Texas are made of lead, new report shows
The first-of-its-kind report discovered that more than 647,000 of the water lines in our state are made of lead, and fixing that is going to come with a hefty price tag. “Texas has the fifth highest amount of lead pipes still in use in the United States," said ‘Inside...
Tubing destination, sacred natural resource — or both?
From her office overlooking Spring Lake, Dr. Christina Lopez has a view of the curious tourists, strolling locals, and excited schoolchildren who navigate the paths and exhibits surrounding the headwaters of the San Marcos River. It’s a fitting location for Lopez, a...
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