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
150K gallons of wastewater spills in Llano due to flash flooding
Around 150,000 gallons of wastewater spilled into Oatman Creek, about 150 yards from the Llano River. The wastewater spilled from the city’s wastewater collection system starting around 7 a.m. Monday. At around 4 p.m. Tuesday, crews diverted the wastewater into a...
Invasive cane continues to plague land on creeks
Two years have passed since the attempt to eradicate Arundo donax began and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) continues to try to get landowners involved. Arundo, also known as giant river cane, is an invasive plant that can grow up to 30 feet tall, take...
Groundwater withdrawals may be the cause of disappearing streams in the mid-west (and here!)
Keith Gido, professor of biology, and Josh Perkin, a Kansas State University alumnus, recently published "Groundwater declines are linked to changes in Great Plains stream fish assemblages" in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research maps the...
Volunteers improve creek-side habitat at Fort Mason City Park
If you have walked along the nature trail at Fort Mason City Park recently, you may have noticed something new. Something pink. Last week, volunteers from the Texas Master Naturalist Program joined staff from Fort Mason City Park and the Hill Country Alliance to...
Is Susan Combs caught in a Washington-style power play?
Former Texas Comptroller Susan Combs all but had her bags packed last week for a new top post in the U.S. Interior Department. Then, her path to Washington hit a speed bump. Combs, nominated to be an assistant secretary at the Interior Department, was up for a vote by...
Board approves proposal to use aquifer to supply hydraulic fracturing operations
A West Texas board unanimously approved a contentious project to drill into a desert aquifer near Van Horn, build a 60-mile pipeline and ship 5.4 million gallons of water a day from the Apache Mountains to the heart of the nation's most prolific oil field, the Permian...