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Water Resource Planning
News
August 31, 2010
Texas Completes Key Groundwater Planning Step
An intensive process to plan out the maximum depletion of aquifers over the next half-century has been completed just ahead of the Sept. 1 deadline. Read full Texas Tribune article here.
August 24, 2010
Riparian Landowner’s Workshops scheduled for October
Riparian areas are important components of the landscape and water cycle. Please read Steve Nelle’s (NRCS) “Riparian Notes”, learn about taking care of your water resources. More information and details about upcoming workshops here.
TCEQ Considers lower water quality standards. SARA says “clean enough to swim in”.
The board of the San Antonio River Authority has come out against the state lowering water quality standards for any of the creeks and rivers it oversees. Other Hill Country river basins are looking at this issue carefully. Sign a petition supporting high standards and learn more here.
August 18, 2010
TWCA Fall Meeting Scheduled for October 13-15
State Representative Doug Miller and TWDB Board Member Thomas Weir Labatt III will headline the fall meeting of the Texas Water Conservation Association (TWCA), scheduled for October 13-15, 2010, at the Crowne Plaza Riverwalk Hotel in San Antonio. The program will also include numerous presentations on surface and groundwater management. Registration information and a full agenda should be available on the TWCA website by mid-August.
July 30, 2010
The Future of Water: GMA 9's 30-foot drawdown decision could crimp future growth
After nearly four years of hydrology modeling and politicking, representatives from groundwater districts in Kendall and eight other Hill Country counties decided Monday to limit the drawdown of aquifer levels to no more than 30 feet over the next 50 years. Read full Boerne Star article here.
July 19, 2010
Domestic use of Highland Lakes water
Ray, who has a weekend place on Lake Buchanan, waters his lawn by pumping water from the lake.” LCRA is asking property owners to pay up. Read more from Water Matters.
July 16, 2010
Uvalde says no to Californian's water pipeline
Rodney Smith's pitch to the Uvalde City Council this week was all about water, but the reception seemed more like the kind you'd see extended to a carnival hustler trying to engage the local citizenry in a game of Three-Card Monte. Read full San Antonio Express article here.
July 15, 2010
Uvalde Water Project Pipeline Concerns
There was standing room only at the Uvalde City Council meeting as citizens crowded into council chambers to hear about the Uvalde Water Project pipeline. Southwest Texas Water Resources wants to construct a 67-mile pipeline from Uvalde County to San Antonio to transport Edwards Aquifer water. City Council says “no”. Read more here.
July 13, 2010
July Issue of TP&W Magazine Explores Why Water Matters in Texas
Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine’s ninth annual water issue is on the news stand now and is a useful resource to engage readers with current water issues that affect their lives. The full text of the issue is also available on the magazine’s website.
July 8, 2010
Fredericksburg's treated sewage effluent available to golf resort
Treated sewage effluent that the City of Fredericksburg contracted in 2006 to sell to Boot Ranch is finally available to the troubled golf resort. Read full San Antonio Express article here. Read more from Fredericksburg Standard here.
June 24, 2010
Playing By The Rule
"Groundwater is covered by an archaic law that could leave use high and dry." Read the full article by Nick Patoski, Texas Observer here.
June 6, 2010
Aquatic Life Declines at Early Stages of Urban Development
The Center for Watershed Protection has been collaborating with the US Geological Survey's Effects of Urbanization on Stream Ecosystems research group to help interpret and disseminate the study results to local watershed managers and planners so they can base land use and management decisions on the best available science. Read more.
May 26, 2010
Cypress Flows, News from The River Systems Institute
What is the economic loss to Wimberley if water flow or quality declines in Cypress Creek? What is a CCN? Rainwater harvesting and water conservation tips…this newsletter is a must read for everyone in Hays County and those in the Hill Country Region who would like to learn about the importance of watershed based planning. Click here for more.
Submit comments now to shape your region’s water policies
EDF hosts “Texas Water Solutions” an informative blog for citizen participation in state water planning processes. A torrent of draft regional water plans have flooded the state this spring, as a part of the state’s regional water planning process. Public hearings and public comment periods on these draft plans present critical opportunities for Texans to let planners know their opinions about how best to meet the future water needs of people and the environment in your area. Visit the blog for more information.
May 22, 2010
Water suppliers may need to consider the health of mussels
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may decide by the end of the year whether 11 species of mussels are endangered. If the answer is yes, the state's river authorities might have to recalculate how much water they can distribute to industry, farmers and growing cities and still leave enough in Texas' already stressed rivers to keep mussels healthy. Read full Statesman.com article here.
May 3, 2010
Protecting a precious resource: Good to the last drop?
Last year State Comptroller Susan Combs urged lawmakers to take action to avoid a major water shortage in the wake of two decades of explosive population growth. Read full Amarillo Globe News article here.
April 20. 2010
Pickens wants court to derail state water plan
Billionaire T. Boone Pickens wants a court to derail state approval of a water management plan that he claims would take $10 million off the value of his groundwater rights in the Texas Panhandle. Read full Statesman.com article here.
March 14, 2010
State seeks to ease water quality rules
In a move that it says will save money and is a practical strategy for monitoring the state's waterways, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has proposed loosening its water quality standards. Read full Statesman.com article here.
March 11, 2010
Texas Water Matters
Texas Water Matters is an outstanding resource on all things related to water planning in Texas. The site is full of current information on all water planning processes. Recently the project added new features to their website illustrating the “interconnectivity” of surface and ground water supplies. Check out the Living Waters Project and specifically the latest material on interconnectivity here.
March 10, 2010
Water Conservation in Texas: Good, Bad And Ugly
Perhaps the timing isn’t best (the drought has lifted and attention has drifted elsewhere) but the National Wildlife Federation and the Sierra Club released a report this week on water conservation efforts in nineteen Texas cities. As the two groups note, the “quality and extent of water conservation programs in Texas’ cities vary considerably.” Read full Texas Observer article here.
March 8, 2010
Drop by Drop: Seven Ways Texas Cities Can Conserve Water
The National Wildlife Federation and the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club released a joint report today recommending seven common-sense water conservation measures. The report reviews 19 cities around the state to see where these measures are in place and concludes that, with some exceptions, most of the cities surveyed are not doing enough to make the most efficient use of existing water supplies. Read more...
February 10, 2010
Edward Aquifer moves towards impervious cover limits in the Hill Country
The board of the Edwards Aquifer Authority on Tuesday moved toward limiting development over the entire recharge zone of the aquifer from Hays to Uvalde counties. Controlling the amount of impervious cover, or the square footage of parking lots and roofs, on top of the recharge zone is a step the authority has contemplated since 2003 to protect water quality. Read full SA Express article here.
January 26, 2010
LCRA wants input for long range water supply planning
Now is the time to let LCRA know your ideas for managing the water in the Highland Lakes. Meetings will be held in Austin, Burnet and El Campo, you can also provide input in writing or take an online survey. Learn more...
November 19, 2009
State environmental agency rejects request to repeal discharge ban
The state environmental office Wednesday denied a request to repeal a ban on the discharge of treated wastewater into the Highland Lakes, which serve as the prime recreation and water supply reservoirs in Central Texas. The decision, made at a meeting of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, ends a public policy discussion that boiled down to water quality versus water quantity. Read full Statesman.com article here.
October 21, 2009
13 Million pounds of toxics discharged into Texas rivers and streams
Industrial facilities dumped 13 million pounds of toxic chemicals into Texas’ waterways in 2007, according to a report released today by Environment Texas: Wasting Our Waterways: Industrial Toxic Pollution and the Unfulfilled Promise of the Clean Water Act. The report also finds that toxic chemicals were discharged in 1,900 waterways across all 50 states. The information detailed in this report was compiled from the Environmental Protection Agency’s database on toxic release inventories. Read full media release here.
August 23, 2009
Our Water Supply, Down the Drain
In the United States, we constantly fret about running out of oil. But we should be paying more attention to another limited natural resource: water. A water crisis is threatening many parts of the country -- not just the arid West. Read full article here.
August 4, 2009
Cypress Creek Project
The spring-fed Cypress Creek and surrounding Hill Country landscape is a unique and cherished natural system located in and around Wimberley, Texas. Learn about what’s being done to protect this resource, check out the latest Cypress Creek Project newsletter here.
June 8, 2009
The Back Porch - Water and wildlife in the marketplace
Texas contains nearly 200,000 miles of streams and rivers. Thirteen of the state’s 15 rivers flow through metropolitan areas supply-ing water for more than 22 million people. Twenty percent of those people depend on a single river: the Trinity. To supply water for people while balancing the needs for wildlife, positive things must happen on the landscape — 95 percent of which is in private hands. - Read full TPWD article here.
May 20, 2009
TPWD Hears about proposed permit to remove sand/gravel from Llano River
On May 12th, about three-dozen Llano County neighbors and their attorneys and consultants made the trip to Texas Parks and Wildlife Headquarters to discuss a proposed permit to remove sand and gravel from the Llano River. Joining them in Austin were several interested persons who offered insight into how a decision on this permit could shape state policy towards the management of rivers. Read full Llano News article here.
May 15, 2009
Silent Springs - is it too late to save Hill Country water?
Sixty feet below the shimmering surface of Jacob’s Well, an artesian spring that for thousands of years has pulsed iridescent blue-green water from the Trinity Aquifer to the surface, a sophisticated instrument measures the spring’s vital signs. The results are beamed almost instantaneously to the Internet. These days the gauge detects only the thinnest of pulses. Read the full Texas Observer article here.
March 1, 2009
Hydrologist concerned about effect of drought on Llano's water supply
"In a called meeting following Monday’s Presidents’ Day holiday, the Llano City Council on Tuesday heard a report from local hydrologist Tyson Broad on how the current drought will continue to adversely affect the city’s water supply unless we receive more rain," writes Dale Fry for the Bandera Bulletin. "Citing current stream flow figures, Broad expressed concern for the future of Llano’s water supply and recommended that the city begin now to determine at what point it should take steps to conserve its supply of the precious liquid." Read the full Bulletin story here.
February 18, 2009
A Wrap-Up of Drought Conditions in Texas
"The River Systems Institute has prepared an overview of drought conditions in Central Texas from several sources. In summary, it appears difficult to compare the current situation to the 50s because of the duration of the 50s drought, and Central Texas did have rain in 2007. But although on a shorter time frame, this drought has been more severe than even portions of the 50s drought, especially in the Central Texas." Read the full summary from the River Systems Institute at TSU here.
January 26, 2009
San Antonio Water System's hopes evaporating
"The Colorado River may be drying up as a potential source of drinking water for San Antonio," writes Jerry Needham for the San Antonio Express-News. "The San Antonio Water System is spending millions of dollars looking into bringing Colorado River water to the Alamo City, but scientific studies, and now maybe policy decisions by the board that oversees the river, continue to shrink the amount of water available and cause the estimated costs to skyrocket." Read the full Express-News story here.
November 6, 2008
NRC: Watershed boundaries are the way to manage runoff
"Although urban areas take just three percent of U.S. land, their loss of water-retaining soil and vegetation -- and their polluted runoff from impervious surfaces, lawns, vehicles, industries, and construction sites -- have harmed all urban streams, and, on a larger scale, caused most impairment of 13 percent of rivers, 18 percent of lakes, and 32 percent of estuaries, concludes the National Research Council's Committee on Reducing Stormwater Discharge Contribution to Water Pollution," Smart Growth News reports. Read the full story here.
November 5, 2008
Second symposium on Texas Water issues Nov. 13 in San Antonio
HCA is partnering with Schreiner University, Texas Tech University and Texas Public Radio to present a series of four free lectures and forums designed to engage Central Texans in the water and growth issues of our area. Read about the Texas Water Symposia here, and read the full press release for the event here.
November 2, 2008
Preserving the S. Llano River: Join the Project Nov. 15
"Environmental Defense Fund's South Llano River Project was initiated in early 2008 to begin discussions with local and regional stakeholders on the interest and feasibility of developing a plan of action to ensure the long-term protection of this rich and unique resource," writes Texas Water Matters. "Work will initially focus on the South Llano River, however there is potential for eventually widening the project area to include the greater Llano River watershed." Join the project on November 15 in Junction and read the details and pre-register to attend here.
Jacob's Well stops flowing
"Jacob's Well, the famous natural spring known to be the longest underwater cave in Texas, stopped flowing for the second time in recorded history on the evening of October 20th," reports the Wimberley Valley Watershed Association in a press release. "Jacob's Well has been hovering at between one and two cubic feet per second for the past several months. Jacob's Well is the barometer for the health of the aquifer; the well ceasing to flow at this time is a major environmental event, as it stopped for the first time in recorded history in the summer of 2000." Read more after the jump.
TCEQ has a new Water Quality division
"The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality recently formed a new Water Quality Planning Division dedicated to improving water quality with Kelly Keel as director," reports the Texas Water Resources Institute. "The division has three sections: Planning and Implementation, Monitoring and Assessment and the Houston Laboratory." Read the full story here.
News from Preserve Our Water
In the latest edition of Preserve Our Water's newsletter, the organization discusses: Current Blanco County drought conditions, Blanco-Pedernales Groundwater Conservation District's drought stage, Jacob’s Well running dry, Central Texas' drought, an update to the GMA 9 Desired Future Conditions, and our own Hill Country Alliance 2009 Calendars. Read more after the jump.
October 22, 2008
Protecting Cibolo Creek saves more than money
"The tendency of humans to build, live and play in and near attractive riparian areas has resulted in stream banks having been stripped of vegetation, paved, compacted and littered with all kinds of trash," writes Jan Wrede, Director of Education at Cibolo Nature Center. "These highly impaired riparian zones now cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars to restore...Protecting the Cibolo Creek from degradation and preserving its natural good health is part of our generation's mandate to provide for sustainable living in this wonderful town." Read more after the jump.
October 6, 2008
Lawmakers looking into Texas water laws
The Texas Legislature is gearing up for another session and these lawmakers are working on changes to Texas Water Laws. New topics include "dam safety, new electric generation sources and technologies, mercury and arsenic emissions, water and energy needs and challenges, water salinity technology, monitoring implementation of HB 1763 as it relates to Groundwater Management Areas, related groundwater issues in areas without a groundwater conservation district, evaluation of increasing caps on export fees, and review of the powers of state river authorities," according to an article in Livestock Weekly. Read their full story after the jump.
Canyon Lake nearing record low
"Drought and an agreement to release water to help keep downstream trout alive have left Canyon Lake just inches above the lowest level ever reached after the reservoir was first filled in 1968," writes Roger Croteau for the San Antonio Express-News. "Canyon Lake's normal level is 909 feet above mean sea level, and its historic low was 899.7 feet in December 1984. On Monday the lake, which has been dropping about an inch a day, stood at 900.11 feet."'
Read the full Express-News story here.
Back to Water Resource Planning
Back to Issues
The Latest News
SOS Hill Country news updates regarding CREZ By Sept 23rd ERCOT is to file a summary of the re-evaluation of the need for the Gillespie to Newton line. Helpful dates, deadlines and timely information from SOSHCE can be viewed here.
Hill Country Water Celebration Sept. 26 for fun and water conservation
The Hill Country Water Celebration with award-winning singer-songwriter Eliza Gilkyson is September 26 at the Salt Lick Pavilion, Driftwood, Texas. Details
Sign Seminar, current issues in sign regulation
Although county authority in this area is limited, this seminar will include a session on bandit signs and control of off premise signs. Scenic beauty is an economic resource and quality of life issue for the Hill Country. Learn more
LCRA’s Tom Mason, “A conflict is brewing in the Texas Hill Country”
On its face, it pits transmission lines, which are needed to bring wind power from West Texas to the state's power grid, against communities of Central Texas. In reality, it's a conflict among several competing objectives, all of them important.” Read full opinion piece here.
Saving Family Lands Seminar – September 21 in San Antonio
To help farmers and ranchers keep their land intact and pass it on to the next generation, the Texas Agricultural Land Trust is hosting two “Saving Family Lands” Seminars. Read More.
Mythical Texas Vs. Modern Texas Land Management
Experts predict that if significant changes aren't made, the state will experience a profound shortage of water by 2060 -- or sooner. Read TWA President Tina Buford’s opinion piece on environmental challenges and land stewardship here.
TCEQ Sunset Town Hall Meeting Sept 23 in San Antonio
GEAA and several partners have organized a town hall style meeting to share suggestions about improving the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Key legislators will be present to listen to public input. Participate and Learn more here.
Texas Completes Key Groundwater Planning Step
An intensive process to plan out the maximum depletion of aquifers over the next half-century has been completed just ahead of the Sept. 1 deadline. Read full Texas Tribune article here.
Wind transmission lines across Hill Country face holdup at Public Utility Commission
By the time the first segment of the Hill Country line came before the commission in April, the commissioners told the LCRA to go back to the drawing board on proposed routes. And now, with commission Chairman Barry Smitherman signaling his unwillingness to go forward, the commissioners appear to be on the verge of scotching the line altogether. Read full Statesman.com article here.
Nominate an "Endangered Historic Place” in the Hill Country
Preservation Texas has called for nominations for its annual naming of “Texas’ Most Endangered Historic Places”. Nominations are due October 15th. HCA has resources and people who will help. Think about a special place that deserves help with preservation and public attention and take it upon yourself to get the ball rolling. Learn more
Riparian Landowner’s Workshops scheduled for October
Riparian areas are important components of the landscape and water cycle. Please read Steve Nelle’s (NRCS) “Riparian Notes”, learn about taking care of your water resources. More information and details about upcoming workshops here.
TCEQ Considers lower water quality standards. SARA says “clean enough to swim in”
The board of the San Antonio River Authority has come out against the state lowering water quality standards for any of the creeks and rivers it oversees. Other Hill Country river basins are looking at this issue carefully. Sign a petition supporting high standards and learn more here.
Mainstreet Architect Introduces Design Guideline Process to Blanco
The first Design Guideline Public Meeting was held on Tuesday evening, July 27, 2010 at the Blanco Public library at 6 p.m. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce to Blanco citizens and business owners the steps involved in developing design guidelines for the city. Read more from Blanco County News here.
Kerr Wildlife Management Area to be Dedicated Aug. 27th
New, $1.8 million conference center to be dedicated Aug. 27 at the Kerr Wildlife Management Area will provide Texas Parks and Wildlife Department with a quality venue for presenting habitat management and ecological programs to thousands of landowners, students and researchers.
More…
UGRA to host Watershed Stewards event this Thursday
August 26th from 8 am – 4pm in Kerrville. Free, one-day workshop designed to help watershed residents improve and protect their watershed, the Guadalupe River above Canyon Lake. Details
Water Matters: Highland Lakes Group
One thing that almost everyone involved with water supply from groundwater agrees with, including users, marketers and regulators alike, is that the volume of water pumped from an aquifer should not exceed the natural recharge of water into the aquifer” Read Water Matters.
Capitol Area transportation planning news
The Capitol Area Metropolitan Planning Organization's (CAMPO’s) August “CAMPO Connection” features information about the newly adopted 2035 Plan and ECT’s forum taking place on September 10th, “Innovate or Stagnate: Can New Approaches to Infrastructure Development Transform our Region?
Hill Country elected officials urging re-evaluation of transmission lines
Public officials participated in the August 19th PUC Open Meeting in Austin; “CREZ transmission line would have a significant negative impact on the Hill Country which is truly a unique area…” Read the summary from SOS Hill Country here. Senator Fraser continues to push for use of existing rights of way. Read Fraser’s letter to the PUC dated Aug 19th here.
Rainwater Revival announces speaker and live music line-up
The Rainwater Revival today announced the speaker and live music line-up for this outdoor festival created to celebrate the timeless conservation practice of rainwater collection. Read more here.
Senator Fraser Announces Gillespie-Newton Transmission Line Unnecessary
Senator Troy Fraser (R-Horseshoe Bay) announced on Tuesday that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has determined that the Gillespie to Newton transmission line is not necessary to solve congestion problems as part of the Competitive Renewable Energy Zone project. Read more here.
TWCA Fall Meeting Scheduled for October 13-15
State Representative Doug Miller and TWDB Board Member Thomas Weir Labatt III will headline the fall meeting of the Texas Water Conservation Association (TWCA), scheduled for October 13-15, 2010, at the Crowne Plaza Riverwalk Hotel in San Antonio. The program will also include numerous presentations on surface and groundwater management. Registration information and a full agenda should be available on the TWCA website by mid-August.
Hill Country power line may not be needed, state grid operator says
A controversial power line proposed to cross the Hill Country to transmit wind power from West Texas may not have to get built after all, according to a letter Tuesday from the agency operating the state's electricity grid. Read full Statesman.com article here.
TCEQ recognizes need for Hays, Travis, Comal Groundwater District
The TCEQ issued a report that draws the conclusion that an order be issued to create a Groundwater Conservation District to include Western Travis, Hays and Comal Counties. The report was filed June 30th and is available online here. More information here. A hearing has been set for set for October 28, 2010 at the Hays County Courthouse at 10:00 a.m. Click here for details.
Hays County picks Nicholson Ranch for Conservation
Nicholson Ranch tract may contain some karst features, which allow substances to more easily enter aquifers. The property includes a small section of Glen Rose limestone, is at the headwaters of Onion Creek, includes several branches of the creek, and may possess springs. Read full San Marcos News article here.
SOS Hill Country requests re-evaluation of transmission line
SaveOur Scenic Hill Country Environment (SOSHCE)is an organization of more than 500 members in Gillespie, Llano, Mason, Kerr and Kimble counties. They are highly concerned about the negative impacts that the McCamey D – Kendall – Gillespie CREZ line will have on the future of the Hill Country and are asking for a re-evaluation of the need for these lines. Read their letter to PUC here.
Great Video About Bear Springs Blossom Preserve
Peter and Marianne Bonenberger were recently awarded a Lone Star Land Steward Award for their excellent work educating the public about land conservation and active restoration practices. Texas Parks & Wildlife put together a great video about the Bonenbergers that is now available. Take five minutes and see what these awesome folks have been doing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6m8pLdxxww
LCRA Newsletter announces procedural schedule for Hill Country CREZ
LCRA TSC mailed about 5,100 notice letters to landowners along each of the 75 alternative routes the same day it filed the application on July 28. Newspaper notices describing LCRA TSC's proposed routes began running in area newspapers the week of Aug.2” August 27th is the intervention deadline. Complete LCRA Newsletter can be viewed here.
American Planning Association/Texas Conference October 6-9 in San Antonio
Water, Wind and Solar Resources - will there be enough for our growing State? Other topics include; physical and social sustainability planning; planning services to assist in meeting specific community needs; tools for planner's to use in their professional development and Ethics and legislative and court decisions and their effect on community development. HCA friend Randall Arendt, the nation's premier "green" landscape planner, site designer, author and lecturer and an advocate of "conservation planning" will return to Texas as a featured speaker. Learn more here.
Tom Mason, GM at LCRA to speak to PLTA Sept 9th
The Protect Lake Travis Association annual general membership meeting will be combined with a special meeting of the newly formed Lake Travis Community Coalition. The meeting will be held at the Travis County West Service Center near Mansfield Dam at 7PM on Thursday, September 9th. Learn more here.
Transmission Line Seminars Offer Information and Options for Landowners
Five transmission line seminars are scheduled across the state featuring expert information on the electric transmission line process, CREZ, and options for private landowners who may be impacted by proposed transmission line routes. Read details from Texas Wildlife Association here.
Statewide Long Range Transportation Plan 2035
TxDot hosts an open-house style public meeting for the development of the Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan addressing roads, transit, rail, and all transportation related planning - Wednesday, August 11th in San Antonio - Details
Guadalupe-Blanco River Trust Becomes Texas' First Accredited Land Trust
The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, announced today that Guadalupe-Blanco River Trust has been awarded accredited status, making Guadalupe-Blanco River Trust the first accredited land trust in the state of Texas. Read more from Texas Land Trust Council here.
TCEQ Draws Flak for Studies That Might Result in Weaker Water Quality Standards The efforts of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to weaken water quality standards for numerous Texas streams through so-called “recreational use” studies were dealt a serious setback Thursday night in the small community of Kosciusko southeast of San Antonio when over 300 residents of Wilson, Karnes, and neighboring counties turned out to demand better water quality for their local stream, Lower Cibolo Creek. Read full story here.
Viewpoint: Comal County needs groundwater conservation district
In the state of Texas, the state owns surface water, including lakes and rivers. But groundwater is a private-property rights matter. In this regard, the state has declared that the preferred method of managing groundwater in Texas is by a groundwater conservation district. (Comal) county has no such groundwater conservation district atop the Trinity Aquifer, which spans about two-thirds of our county. Read full San Antonio Express community article here.
The Future of Water: GMA 9's 30-foot drawdown decision could crimp future growth
After nearly four years of hydrology modeling and politicking, representatives from groundwater districts in Kendall and eight other Hill Country counties decided Monday to limit the drawdown of aquifer levels to no more than 30 feet over the next 50 years. Read full Boerne Star article here.
Read more Hill Country news
Upcoming Events
September
September 9 in Austin - Combined Protect Lake Travis Association (PLTA) and Lake Travis Community Coalition (LTCC) meeting, open to the public - Details
September 10 in Austin - INNOVATE OR STAGNATE: Could New Approaches to Infrastructure Transform Our Region? - Envision Central Texas Regional Forum III - Details
September 11 - 21st Annual Frio River Trash Bash - Details
September 11 in Fredericksburg - Better Basics: Backyards, Birds and Butterflies - Presented by the Native Plant Society of Texas Fredericksburg Chapter - Details
September 17 in San Antonio - Texas Riparian Association 2010 Annual Meeting - Details
September 17 in San Antonio - Edwards Aquifer Authority workshop on Karst Aquifers - Details
September 17 in New Braunfels - Austin-San Antonio Growth Summit - Details
September 21 in San Antonio - Saving Family Lands Seminar - Land conservation, tax planning and financial strategies for landowners and their advisors - Registration deadline: September 13 - Details
September 23 in San Antonio - TCEQ Townhall Meeting - details
September 25 in Brenham - 2nd Annual South Central Texas Water Conservation Conference - Details
September 25 in Helotes - Riparian Zone Workshop: San Geronimo Creek - Details
September 26 in Helotes - Riparian Zone Workshop: Helotes Creek - Details
September 26 in Driftwood - Wimberley Valley Watershed Association annual Hill Country Water Celebration - Details
September 27 in San Antonio - Riparian Zone Workshop: San Antonio River - Details
September 30 in Austin - Third Annual Celebration of Children in Nature - Hosted by Westcave Preserve - Details
September 30 in Austin - Texas Water Symposium - Legislative Action Affecting Texas Water Resources - Details
October
October 4 in Lockhart - Riparian Landowners' Workshop - Details
October 5 in Swinney Switch - - Riparian Landowners' Workshop - Details
October 6 in Camp Wood - Riparian Landowners' Workshop - Details
October 6-9 in San Antonio - 2010 American Planning Association Texas Conference - Details
October 7 in Tarpley - Riparian Landowners' Workshop - Details
October 8 in Barksdale - Riparian Landowners' Workshop - Details
October 8 in Kerrville - Transmission Line Seminar Hosted by Texas Wildlife Association and Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association - Details
October 9 in Dripping Springs - Hays County Rainwater Revival - All day event celebrating and learning about Rainwater Harvesting and Water Conservation - Details
October 11-12 in San Antonio - Texas Innovative Water 2010 - Details
October 13 in Cleburn - Transmission Line Seminar Hosted by Texas Wildlife Association and Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association - Details
October 13-15 in San Antonio - Texas Water Conservation Association Fall Meeting - Registration information and a full agenda should be available on the http://www.twca.org/TWCA website by mid-August.
October 22 in Driftwood - Hill Country Conservancy's 4th Annual Hill Country Nights - Details
October 27 in Lubbock - Transmission Line Seminar Hosted by Texas Wildlife Association and Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association - Details
October 27-30 in Austin - National Preservation Conference - Details
The Hill Country is an idea Texans share.
The Hill Country Alliance connects people and place as active stewards of a regional heritage worth sharing and sustaining for future generations.
"The Mission of the Hill Country Alliance is to bring together an ever-expanding alliance of groups throughout a multi-county region of Central Texas with the long-term objective of preserving open spaces, water supply, water quality and the unigue character of the Texas Hill Country."
