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
Where have Austin’s Indigenous people gone?
It’s almost a rarity these days to be considered an Austin native, rather than falling into the transplant pool.Hayley Bishop is, indeed, one of those born-and-raised Austinites. But they struggle with identifying as, what some would consider, a local native.“Like, I...
‘There’s been historic flooding and neglect’: San Antonio councilwomen aim to improve drainage
One San Antonio resident said water builds up seven or eight feet high after heavy rain. Another compared their street to the Amazon River. Dozens shared their flooding experiences last fall with the city’s drainage bond committee, a group appointed by City Council to...
Growth in unincorporated areas of Kendall County
As the new State of the Hill Country Report illustrates, the Hill Country population has increased by 50% since 1990, with most of this growth occurring along the I-35 corridor. The fastest growing counties are Hays County with 195% growth, and both Comal and Kendall...
You can get a permit to dump treated wastewater into Barton Creek. Some are trying to change that.
Several conservationist groups are banding together to stop treated effluent from getting into certain waterways in Texas, including Barton and Onion creeks.That means human waste where pollutants have been removed.Currently, the Texas Commission on Environmental...
The Hill Country Alliance presents Spring Water Revival: Splash into learning, spring into action.
Spring in the Hill Country is a time of blooming wildflowers, flowing creeks, and (hopefully) the arrival of long-awaited rains. This spring, the Hill Country Alliance (HCA) has announced the first annual Spring Water Revival – a month long, springtime celebration of...
TCEQ denies petition to create rule against issuing wastewater discharge permits on pristine streams
While some Texans spent Wednesday’s warm temperatures outdoors enjoying Barton Creek, others spent the day indoors fighting on its behalf. At a public meeting Wednesday morning, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) heard comments on a petition filed by...
Is Texas Hill Country in danger of being ‘loved to death’?
Deep in the heart of Texas, the traffic is backed up for almost a mile. It’s a jarring sight for long-time residents of the Hill Country, a rural oasis of scrubby green hills, crystalline water, and bright white limestone west of Austin and San Antonio. But it’s not...
Act Now
Shop the HCA Store
HCA Resources
Reports:
One Water in the Texas Hill Country:
Connecting Communities with Projects and Professionals
