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
Hill Country rivers at risk of historic lows ahead of tubing season
"In general, the Edwards Aquifer and San Marcos springflow levels are currently at levels that have only been experienced less than 10% of the time in recorded monitoring history and approaching the lowest levels on record for this time of year," Enders said in an...
Texas utilities are storing their water underground. Here’s why.
Among the most striking signs of Central Texas' ongoing drought are two of the region’s reservoirs: Canyon Lake in Comal County and Medina Lake, west of San Antonio. In both lakes, the water levels are historically low. For the first time since it was filled in the...
Protect the Pedernales: The dangers of discharge
The Pedernales River is one of Texas’s most cherished waterways, an ecological, recreational and cultural treasure that defines the Hill Country. As stewards of this vital resource, the Pedernales River Alliance (PRA) has opposed the wastewater permit application...
An EPA rule will reduce lead in drinking water—Unless this effort to block it succeeds
A landmark Environmental Protection Agency rule enacted at the end of last year sought to address the lead crisis—which threatens the health of millions of Americans—by tightening limitations on toxic lead and copper in drinking water. But that might not be the final...
Texas Hill Country property to be pristine sanctuary with limited access
Conservation has won after a pristine 32-acre parcel in the Texas Hill Country was donated to the Cibolo Center for Conservation. Instead of turning into a possible housing development, the property will become a sanctuary that will have limited access to the public...
Texas lawmaker files bill to reduce “forever chemicals” in sewage-based fertilizer
Johnson County’s newest state representative, Helen Kerwin, R-Cleburne, filed her first bill Friday targeting an environmental problem that has struck her county: PFAS contamination in sewage sludge-based fertilizers. Kerwin said House Bill 1674, could reduce the...