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
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...
Groups fight to limit sewage lines over Edward’s recharge zone.
Local environmentalists do not want to see sewage lines or a wastewater plant built for a new development constructed over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone — a matter that was driven home during the San Antonio Water System’s monthly board of trustees meeting...