Our Work
Land
HCA’s Land Program seeks to increase private land stewardship and permanent land conservation across the Hill Country, and works with regional land trusts to educate owners about conservation easements, track conservation metrics, and consider conservation priorities.
Water
HCA’s Water Program assists grassroots groups that champion water stewardship in their communities, advocates for policies that protect groundwater and surface water, and promotes resilient water supplies through the advancement of One Water projects.
Night Sky
HCA’s Night Skies Program helps Hill Country counties and cities minimize the impacts of light pollution through education and outreach, the establishment of outdoor lighting policies, and the recognition and celebration of certified Dark Sky Places in our region.
Communities
HCA’s Communities Program builds connections across county lines, supporting rural leaders in protecting the unique character of their communities while promoting innovative approaches to building healthy, vibrant communities throughout the Texas Hill Country.
The Latest
Groundwater conservation district up and running
With no funding, no staff and a board of temporary directors, the Southwestern Travis County Groundwater Conservation District is up and running. The body was created with the intent of monitoring and protecting the area’s supply of groundwater, but it must receive...
As World Eyes Cape Town Water Crisis, Texas Study Explores New Options
It's a resource so precious that human life can't be sustained without it, yet so common most of us take it for granted. But water is becoming scarce, a growing problem stemming from wasteful usage and exacerbated by climate change. Cape Town, South Africa, is bracing...
Texas Water Challenges film series premiers
The Texas Water Roundtable has premiered the short film series, Texas Water Challenges. Five ten-minute films on contemporary water issues impacting Texas - water pricing and economics, new water, surface/groundwater coordination, water education, and Texas water...
Keep sewage out of Hill Country creeks
Dripping Springs is a good 90-minute drive to the north of San Antonio, but the flow of water connects this region even as water fights divide it. In this case, Dripping Springs is pursuing a permit that would allow it to discharge up to a million gallons of treated...
Uvalde joins water lawsuit against San Antonio’s Edwards Aquifer Authority
The city of Uvalde has joined the Uvalde County Underground Water Conservation District and other plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the Edwards Aquifer Authority. The lawsuit seeks to protect residents and businesses in the Uvalde County area from what plaintiffs...
Vulcan encounters opposition to proposed quarry in Comal County
Vulcan Materials Co. recently filed permit requests to put a limestone quarry on 1,500 acres of land along Highway 46 and FM 3009 in Comal County, Texas, but neighbors have organized some resistance, News 4 San Antonio reports. “The ideal would be that it would not be...