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
Drought drains greenbelt swimming holes, but springs may still provide.
Swimming holes are a summer tradition for some, but one that might be hard to find in Austin. Two iconic swimming holes on the Barton Creek Greenbelt are Campbell’s Hole and Twin Falls. Both of these are currently dry, likely caused by a lack of rain in central Texas....
Water level at Lake Travis is at its lowest in nearly 4 years
As we continue to bake through a major drought in Central Texas, the water level at Lake Travis is at its lowest in nearly four years. That’s spurring concerns not just for swimmers and boaters, but about the water supply. "I mean we’ve been coming out here quite a...
Editor’s Note: Preserved Paradise
I’ve lived in the Hill Country for five years now, yet I’m still finding new reasons to admire its grandeur on a regular basis. I love that my kids get to grow up in such a beautiful, wild landscape, and I hope their kids will have the same opportunity. As Central...
Keep Bastrop Boring: Central Texas man wars with Elon Musk’s Boring Company
Just after 7 p.m. on May 3, a tall, bearded man in a white Stetson strolled up to the microphone positioned in front of Kyle City Council and spilled his guts about Elon Musk and his Boring Company’s forays into Texas. On that day, the company wished to get a...
TESPA initiates legal action to protect water & endangered species
The Trinity Edwards Springs Protection Association (TESPA) has sent the attached Notice of Intent (NOI) to sue Far South Mining LLC to stop the proposed quarry and rock crushing plant on the Needmore Ranch between Wimberley and San Marcos in Hays County, TX. The legal...
Unique and creative approaches for conservation
Editorial by Commissioner Lon Shell, Hays County As our population surges, will the Hill Country retain its character? I believe it can, however it is a challenge that will require unique and creative approaches to balance that growth with preservation of the very...
When a quarry closes, can its damage be undone?
A hypnotic maze of subdivisions stretches along Anderson Mill Road as you drive north out of Austin. Then, just before you reach downtown Cedar Park, towering mounds of loose rock rise like ashes from a giant cigarette. Throughout the Texas Hill Country, this sort of...
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