News
Why Austinites should embrace a ‘summer blonde’ lawn during a drought
Spring is practically upon us, meaning it's just about time to clear out the flowerbeds and start planning the year's garden. But with increasingly unpredictable rainfall and extended droughts, it may be worth considering plants with lower water needs — especially...
Texas springs in crisis: New study highlights overwhelming increase in dry springs
New research from The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University uncovers a concerning decline in the state’s groundwater resources, finding that the number of dry springs has nearly tripled since the early 1980s. Co-authored by Robert E....
What is an aquifer? Here’s how they affect Texas’ water supply.
I’m pretty sure I learned about aquifers in a middle school classroom during a science unit on the water cycle. But, like most people, I’ve entirely forgotten what I learned or didn't pay close attention. But in the last few years, since I started covering Hays...
Just six years from now, Georgetown may not have enough water for everyone
Georgetown, the fastest growing city in the U.S. and home to more than 86,000 people, must find a new water source by 2030 in order to avoid supply shortages, according to a city report. It's something Jonathan Moore thinks about a lot. Read more from Kailey Hunt with...
Another hot and dry summer? The Climate Prediction Center says so
While many of us have enjoyed this winter of wetter, cooler weather, especially when it comes to improving drought conditions, do not expect this summer to be similar. This is a result of a shift to La Niña conditions forecast for the upcoming spring from our El Niño...
Single-use container ban in San Marcos parks is ‘definitely a win’ for the river
The City of San Marcos passed a “can ban” ordinance banning single-use beverage containers on the San Marcos River within city limits and in certain areas of city parks. This includes, but is not limited to, single-use containers made of metal, aluminum, cardboard,...
Pushback against wastewater disposal near Texas’ ‘best-kept secret’
A milk jug of muddy water accompanied one landowners comments at a meeting Monday night. The brown liquid was meant to represent effluent, wastewater that has been treated and then reused. Read more from Eric Henrikson with KXAN here.
Wimberley water agencies prepare to act against Aqua Texas for alleged violations
At a joint meeting Friday, conservation agencies shared their plan to act against water utility company Aqua Texas for allegedly failing to comply with local conservation guidelines. Read more from Mercedez Hernandez with KXAN here.
In the Hays County city of Kyle, swift growth stirs up a fight over wastewater
Environmental advocates are pushing back against the city of Kyle’s plan to expand its wastewater treatment plant — a step city leaders say is necessary to keep up with rapid population growth. Kyle — which is in northern Hays County, between San Marcos and Austin...
Camp Bullis protection program receives $502K grant
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation recently announced the awarding of a $502,000 grant that will fund a groundwater study as part of an initiative meant to protect the Camp Bulls military mission and the surrounding area. Read more from Edmond Ortiz with Community...
‘We need more’: Despite recent rains, San Antonio area still locked in drought
Parts of Central Texas, including San Antonio, have seen a rainy start to 2024, with more than six inches of precipitation in January. But the Bandera area has seen far less — just two inches in the past month. And that matters across the region, because many of the...
Majority of America’s underground water stores are drying up, study finds
Many of America’s critical sources of underground water are in a state of rapid and accelerating decline, a new study has found. More than half of the aquifers in the United States (53 percent) are losing water, according to research published Wednesday in Nature....
Another hot, dry summer may push parts of Texas to the brink
Two consecutive summers of brutal heat and drought have left some parts of Texas with notably low water supplies going into 2024. A wet year or a well-placed hurricane could quickly pull these regions back from the brink. But winter rains have disappointed so far....
Jacob’s Well was dry for seven months—One company just kept pumping
After sitting dry for 222 days, Jacob’s Well, the iconic artesian spring near Wimberley, has started to flow again. From mid-June through mid-January, the popular swimming hole was a miserable sight: the water level had receded below the lip of the well’s mouth,...
Texas companies reported releasing 1 million pounds of excess pollution during recent cold snap
Frigid weather this month caused industrial facilities across Texas to release unplanned air pollution as machinery froze, power went out and icy conditions blocked service crews. Over four chilly days between Jan. 14 and 17, companies submitted reports to Texas’...
Thousands of oil and gas wastewater spills threaten property, groundwater, wildlife and livestock across Texas
In the state’s latest Joint Groundwater Monitoring and Contamination Report, the Railroad Commission had included 557 groundwater contamination cases caused by oil and gas operations. The spokesperson said cases where chloride contaminated the groundwater—of which...
CNN names Texas Hill Country one of the best places to visit in the world this year
A new report says that one of the best places to visit in the entire world is right here in Central Texas. CNN Travel named the Texas Hill Country one of the best places to visit in the world in 2024. The region was included alongside 23 other destinations, including...
Residents, groups fight plan to dump wastewater into Hill Country waterway
Residents and environmental groups are asking state regulators to deny a developer’s request to build a plant that would dump 300,000 gallons of treated wastewater a day into Hondo Creek, saying the plan could damage the Hill Country waterway. The wastewater plant...
Which Texas cities could see nearly 500K tourists during the total eclipse?
With three months until a total solar eclipse passes over Texas on April 8, many people are making final preparations. Between 931,000 and 3,725,000 are expected to travel to see the eclipse within the United States, according to GreatAmericanEclipse.com. Which cities...
Aqua Texas sues Hays County groundwater district over a nearly $450,000 overpumping fine
Aqua Texas, a water utility company that services more than 3,000 customers in Hays County, filed a federal lawsuit late last month against the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District alleging unequal treatment following fines imposed for overpumping. The...
AQUA Texas files federal lawsuit against the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District in 2024
Groundwater is the only source of drinking water for the majority of western Hays County -- that's tens of thousands of residents. AQUA Texas is responsible for providing adequate and continuous water to its ratepayers. In order to protect the rights of all...
Opponents plan new fight against quarry
Opponents of a proposed quarry in Comal County are forming a new plan to fight the project after losing their latest effort to block the facility’s air quality permit. Since 2017, the Preserve Our Hill Country Environment Foundation and other advocates have been...
After Garden Ridge says no, concrete plant’s owner finds site just outside city
Months after Garden Ridge officials shot down a plans for a controversial concrete plant, the plant’s owners have quietly picked a new site for it — one that’s less than half a mile away, but is outside the Comal County city’s jurisdiction. Read more from Liz Teitz...
10 stories that impacted Dripping Springs residents in 2023
New plan aims to protect Hill Country's natural resources The Hill Country Land, Water, Sky and Natural Infrastructure Plan, released by the Texas Hill Country Conservation Network, or THCCN, is a plan to protect natural infrastructure that brings environmental,...
Thousands of gallons gush from Travis County water tower on multiple occasions
The irony was not lost on David Way. While he methodically worked to save an oak tree in his front yard by using a soaker hose on his designated watering day, water, on a few occasions, was gushing from a water tower just feet away from his western Travis County home....
Passing the torch: 19 properties officially transferred to Texas Land Conservancy
In the spirit of passing the torch, I am delighted to inform you that the Hill Country Land Trust has successfully completed a three-year process of transitioning its 19 protected properties, totaling 8,010 acres, to the capable hands of Texas Land Conservancy (TLC)....
Exploding development in Gillespie County
Aquifers, rivers need high consideration along with growth. “Everyone is concerned about the explosion of growth”, said Paul Tybor, General Manager of the Hill Country Underground Water Conservation District. Read more from Katherine Peake in the Fredericksburg...
Texas voters approve $1.8 billion in parks and recreation funding
This November, Texas voters approved Prop 14– the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund– with 76% of the vote. This $1 billion fund will enable the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to buy land to create dozens of new state parks. But on top of that historic win for...
Unique San Marcos River fish officially extinct
The San Marcos Gambusia was officially delisted from the Endangered Species Act by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service due to extinction on Oct. 16, with it last spotting sometime between 1983-85. The San Marcos Gambusia was a species unique to the San Marcos Springs....
Who is ‘Edwards,’ anyway? 5 things to know about the Edwards Aquifer.
You’ve likely heard about the Edwards Aquifer, especially over the past few drought-stricken years. The groundwater system provides water for more than 2 million people, and water levels in recent months have dictated watering restrictions, making them a tangible...