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

Oak trees sprawl out, casting shade over a yellow field of tall grass.

Land

The Texas Hill Country region covers over 11 million acres in 17 counties of mostly privately held land.

Sunset fades over red trees and the flowing water of a rocky creek

Water

Thirteen Texas rivers begin in the Hill Country and provide water for millions of downstream neighbors.

The Milky Way illuminates a brilliant blue, starry sky over a Hill Country river.

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.

A little boy in cowboy boots and a button down shirt swings a rope in the middle of a rodeo arena.

Community

90% of Hill Country lands are in unincorporated areas where there is little authority to plan for growth.

Image shows a man in conversation with speakers, while a woman looks on attentively in the background.

Collaboration

HCA serves as the backbone organization and fiscal sponsor of the Texas Hill Country Conservation Network.

Latest News

Check Out Texas (and all U.S.) cities in 2030

Want to see what San Antonio will look like in 2020 and 2030? An interactive tool developed by the Urban Institute lets you look at the future size of U.S. cities and their demographics, and even alter assumptions for birth, death and immigration rates to see how low,...

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Council Set to Place Aquifer, Trailways on the Ballot

Nearly three months after approving the $3.4 billion Vista Ridge water purchase and pipeline deal, City Council now appears poised to authorize renewal of two landmark propositions that have funded protection of the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone and development of the...

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San Antonio to vote on Aquifer Protection Thursday

The Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance (GEAA) is endorsing the reauthorization of Props 1 & 2; funding to conserve land that protects the Edwards Aquifer. You can make a difference by making your voice heard and encouraging San Antonio City Council members to...

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The Value of a Healthy Hill Country

In a recent piece in the Upper Llano River Watershed Protection Plan Newsletter, Dr. Tom Arsuffi explores the value of a healthy, functioning Hill Country ecosystem. In a Texas that is increasingly urbanizing, how do we ensure that our urban centers properly value...

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Groundwater Wars Brewing in Austin’s Suburbs

In a classic example of the gaps in Texas' patchwork approach to regulating groundwater, an unprecedented amount of water may soon be pumped from underneath already parched Hays County with virtually no oversight. Read more from the Texas Tribune.

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Lone Star Rail kicks off environmental study

A decade-old project to build a passenger rail line between the San Antonio and Austin areas picked up steam January 21 with a public meeting of the Lone Star Rail Project. The meeting served as the kickoff to the project’s environmental impact study, which Lone Star...

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