News
Waters keep on dropping: As Medina Lake dries up, nearby wells run low, too
When David Cahill’s three wells ran out of water last year, he wasn’t surprised. It had been a long time coming, and he knew eventually he would have to dig another, deeper well on his property. Still, the final price — just under $30,000 — he didn’t expect. Read more...
PEACE: The time to conserve land is now
The Edwards Aquifer, source of Comal Springs, is recognized as one of the most prolific karst aquifer systems in the world. Storm water enters and travels through the system with amazing speed, allowing for rapid recharge of this elegant water source. However, this...
2022 was Austin’s driest year since drought-stricken, heat-scorched 2011
While we were rightfully worried about the hard freeze that descended upon Texas just before Christmas, you might have missed the news that drought conditions across the state have eased to levels not seen in more than a year. Unfortunately, the improvement comes too...
Weather, climate, and measuring chili pepper heat
I know someone in public relations; she avoids topics such as religion, politics, and the weather. Religion and politics can be very personal and areas of possible dissent. Talking about the weather, she tells me, might seem safe, but might in its safety bore the very...
How to prevent the next water crisis
Cities and farmers in Central Texas used to pump groundwater from the Edwards Aquifer much more freely—draining local springs and rivers and depriving several endangered species of a habitat. In the 1990s, the Sierra Club sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on...
Smart meter monitoring can help conserve water — but not without a fight, researchers find
The use of smart meters to enforce water restrictions could encourage widespread conservation — but not without local backlash, a new study has found. Amid California’s ongoing drought, researchers partnered with the city of Fresno in summer 2018 to access and...
outlook+water: Drought continues to improve, La Niña’s days are numbered, reservoirs levels rising
Summary: 75% of the state is abnormally dry or worse, and 52% of the state is in drought Equal chances for La Niña or neutral conditions for the January-March season and a 71% chance of neutral conditions for the February-April season Reservoir storage is still 10%...
Failing infrastructure, drought and floods: Texas’ top 10 water stories of 2022
For Texas’ water sector, 2022 was a rough year. Stories about failing infrastructure, drought and even floods captured state headlines. Many of these stories were grim and endured by millions across the state. Texans had to live without or boil their water, flee...
Report: Texas grid still not prepared for extreme winter weather
The Texas energy grid is still not fully prepared to weather a severe winter storm scenario, even after the string of upgrades and regulations that have followed 2021's winter storm, according to an Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) report published...
SAWS board approves legislative initiatives for 88th session
The San Antonio Water System’s board of trustees unanimously approved the utility’s legislative agenda for the upcoming session on Tuesday and said goodbye to a longtime SAWS MVP. SAWS hopes to use the session to support the continued development of “stable, equitable...
Shudde Fath, titan of Austin environmental causes, dies at age 106
Shudde Bess Bryson Fath, a prolific activist who battled to protect Austin's environment and its energy consumers, died early Friday at age 106. Born in 1916 in Bastrop, Fath graduated from the University of Texas in 1937 and worked for the state government for most...
Houses sprout up in the Texas Hill Country
Construction is set to begin next year on a 3,500-home subdivision on a ranch fronting Lake Travis, the latest batch of homes to blanket Austin's western flank. Why it matters: Suburban sprawl continues virtually unabated in the environmentally sensitive Hill Country....
Texas 2036’s Strategic Framework shows how Texas stacks up across key performance areas and against other states
As Texas looks toward its bicentennial, Texas 2036 releases a new data-driven roadmap for the state to be the best place to live and work. Reflecting more than six years of research and analysis, “Shaping Our Future: A Strategic Framework for Texas” was created by...
Wimberley approves transportation projects
After not seeing an update for 12 years, the Wimberley City Council unanimously approved some components of the proposed Transportation Master Plan last week. Earlier this year, the city of Wimberley engaged transportation consultants to study roadway safety, traffic...
Experts tout Texas as water-planning leader, but still stress potential shortages
Beneath the U.S. High Plains, a substantial underground reservoir stretches from the Texas Panhandle to South Dakota, providing drinking water for more than 2 million people and supplying the irrigation for dozens of valued crops across eight states, which account for...
Time is now to focus on water
We know the Texas Legislature will have a ton of issues on its plate when it goes back into session in January. Lawmakers have signaled interest in tackling border security operations, making the grid more reliable, addressing energy costs, fixing a broken foster care...
Texas approves $52M for water, wastewater, stormwater projects
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has recently approved $52,913,408 in financial assistance for water, wastewater, and stormwater projects. The funds were distributed to seven projects through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), the Drinking Water...
Drought forces cuts in Texas aquifer usage
The Ogallala Aquifer is not the only major groundwater source which has had notable declines because of drought in the southern United States. In south central Texas, the Edwards Aquifer has also had a big decline in its volume to the point that withdrawals from the...
Hill Country photo contest winners announced
The Texas Hill Country is a unique region filled with diverse wildlife, clear springs, sprawling rural landscapes, historic towns and some of the starriest night skies in the country. With a rapidly growing population and increasing development coming into the region,...
Ongoing drought, growing population and aging infrastructure affecting water supplies
Having enough water for Austin's growing population is a huge concern. Add the ongoing drought, record-breaking heat and aging infrastructure and you can see why water managers and conservationists are worried about the future. The KVUE Defenders looked into what's...
Window on a Canyon Lake Sunset’ by Jerry Sargent places third in HCA’s 2022 Hill Country Photo Contest
Canyon Lake photographer Jerry Sargent’s photograph, ‘Window on a Canyon Lake Sunset,’ placed third in the Hill Country Alliance’s (HCA) 2022 Hill Country Photo Contest. HCA announced the winners today. Sargent’s image will appear in HCA’s 2023 calendar. His...
Go native with soil health
Have you heard? There’s a whole world of life in the soil beneath your boots. News about the benefits of soil health is everywhere and agricultural producers across Texas are taking notice. Healthy soils lead to clean air and water, bountiful crops and forests,...
Comal residents continue to oppose quarry
Comal County community members are contesting an air quality permit for a proposed 1,500-acre limestone quarry between New Braunfels and Bulverde, arguing that the quarry is harmful for human health and welfare. Environmental organizations in Hill Country requested a...
Low Lake Travis water levels are impacting businesses, residents
Drought conditions and low water levels in Lake Travis continue to affect business owners and residents who live and work in this area, and this is especially true for those in the lake’s inlet near Hudson Bend, several residents said. “I’ve lived in the area for 27...
Hill Country ‘snapshots’ captured in 2023 calendar
The 2022 winners in the "Snapshot of the Hill Country" photo contest have been chosen, and you can hang their work on your wall with a 2023 calendar. The Hill Country Alliance contest "challenged photographers to capture the fleeting beauty of life" in the region,...
HCA advocates talk water challenges, opportunities
Hill Country water advocates from across the region gathered in Bandera on Oct. 13 for a day of learning, connecting, and strategizing for water stewardship in our region. “The work to protect our aquifers and rivers is challenging but vital to the longterm prosperity...
Hill Country photo contest winners announced
The Hill Country Alliance (HCA) announced Wednesday it had selected the winners of a photo contest recording the beauty of the area. The four winners of the 2022 Hill Country Photo Contest will be featured in the 2023 Texas Hill Country Calendar. Yu Zhou won the grand...
119 acres of scenic Hill Country views and habitat protected forever!
Querencia is the home of landowners Deborah Elliott and Pat Davis. The name of the property is a Spanish word referring to one’s safe place, or a place from which one’s strength is drawn, where one feels at home. The place where one is their most authentic self. Since...
Texas’ plan to provide water for a growing population virtually ignores climate change
Texas’ biggest single solution to providing enough water for its soaring population in the coming decades is using more surface water, including about two dozen new large reservoirs. But climate change has made damming rivers a riskier bet. ZAPATA — This small South...
2022 Hill Country photo contest winners announced and 2023 Calendar for sale!
The 2023 Hill Country Calendar is sold out! If you did not yet order your calendars, you'll have to wait until 2024. While we're sorry for folks who missed out this year, we are so grateful for the support of everyone that has ordered. Thank you to all who supported...