Resources
HCA Issue Papers
County Tools for Managing Growth
In 2022, a coalition of partners hired Gap Strategies to explore how counties in Texas are using their existing regulatory authorities to manage growth and steward natural resources in their communities. The results of this survey, as well as examples of innovation and ideas for the future are shared in an executive summary and published in a full (61-page) and abridged (12-page) report format. Learn more here.
Reports, Guides, and Regional Studies
Leading by Example Guidebook
This guidebook is a resource for any Hill Country leader who wants to promote more thoughtful development in their community. It is broken into chapters focused on different local policies that can guide development that is protective of our local context, with examples from across our region.
Tools for Managing Groundwater in the Texas Hill Country
This resource from the Hill Country Alliance – created in May 2023 – is meant to demystify the available tools for groundwater management and make groundwater planning and management more accessible across the Hill Country.
One Water in the Texas Hill Country: A Guidebook for Connecting Communities with Projects and Professionals
A joint project of Hill Country Alliance and the National Wildlife Federation, this guidebook is intended to connect Hill Country communities facing growth and increased demands for water with water professionals experienced with One Water strategies, planning, implementation, design and construction.
Making the Case for Source Water Protection: Pedernales River Basin Evaluation
This case study presents multiple land conservation and source water protection programs, their successes and funding sources. Ultimately, the study suggests priority protection areas and a road map for implementing a successful source water protection program in the Pedernales River Basin.
Land, Water, Sky, and Natural Infrastructure Plan
This 2023 plan provides data-driven solutions and priorities for conserving natural resources within the Texas Hill Country and includes a written report, maps, and recommendations for a path forward based on input from over 2,800 Texans.
State of the Hill Country Report
This report from the Texas Hill Country Conservation Network defines and calculates eight metrics for tracking trends related to changes in the natural resources of the Texas Hill Country.
Hill Country Conservation: A Network and Narrative for Large-Scale Collaborative Conservation
In 2016, the Network released this report describing the joint research and practitioner-based effort to understand the network and narrative that shapes Hill Country conservation opportunities and outcomes.
Hill Country Regional Plan – Full Report Hill Country Reg. Plan – Exec. Summary
Report summarizing the findings and recommendations of the Hill Country Studio convened by The University of Texas School of Architecture (UTSOA) to outline strategies that might be used to protect the region’s extraordinary economic and natural resources.
Educational Videos
Mapping Tools
