As drought persists, Texas ranchers take stock
Cattle ranchers in the Texas Hill Country are facing a tough decision after months of drought. “You have to decide where’s your quitting point in terms of buying feed, buying hay and feeding your animals,” says Jamie Osbourn, an agent with the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension office in Llano County. Llano is one of a handful of counties... Read more
San Antonio mayor navigating troubled waters over plan to reroute aquifer protection tax funding
A plan to improve public transit by rerouting money from a popular program aimed at protecting the Edwards Aquifer has hit rough waters. Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff want to redirect $40 million a year from a 1/8-cent sales tax that pays for aquifer protection, linear parks and creekways to VIA Metropolitan Transit for... Read more
Council may pump $100K into Permian pipeline legal battle
Austin City Council members will vote on a resolution Thursday earmarking as much as $100,000 to the city manager to participate in civil litigation against the Permian Highway Pipeline. The 42-inch, 430-mile buried natural gas pipeline would run from just north of Fort Stockton in West Texas through the Texas Hill Country en route to the Houston area.... Read more
Hill Country Conservancy is now accepting pre-applications for funding of conservation easements through the Hill Country Headwaters Conservation Initiative
The Hill Country Headwaters Conservation Initiative (HCHCI), a program of Hill Country Conservancy, the Texas Hill Country Conservation Network and 18 partner organizations, is now accepting pre-applications from landowners located within specified critical river basins. The HCHCI has a $2.1 million pledge, awarded by the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, for the purchase of conservation easements from willing landowners. “Private landowners throughout the Texas Hill Country... Read more
Is Central Texas prepared for another major wildfire?
The deadly wildfires in Australia are bringing a lot of attention to fire dangers – even here at home. Right now, Central Texas is in a drought and the big question is: Are we prepared for a big wildfire? This area has seen big fires before, like the one in Bastrop County in 2011, which burned up almost... Read more
Texas Comptroller’s Office Partners with the University of Houston – Clear Lake to Perform Western Chicken Turtle Surveys
The Texas Comptroller’s Natural Resources program has contracted with the University of Houston – Clear Lake (UHCL) to conduct range-wide surveys in East Texas for the western chicken turtle. The partnership will inform an upcoming Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing decision for the species and develop information that local resource managers can use to sustain economic development while... Read more
Money for San Antonio aquifer protection would likely be cut under SAWS’ purview
Money for a city program that protects the Edwards Aquifer would be cut in half if the San Antonio Water System took on the responsibility, preliminary figures released Tuesday show. Mayor Ron Nirenberg has pushed the city-owned utility to assume control of the aquifer protection program, now funded through a voter-approved 1/8-cent sales tax. By doing so, about... Read more
Energy company develops ultrasonic device to keep bats away from Texas windfarms
An energy company is taking steps to protect bats from windmills. Research shows hundreds of thousands are killed every year. There’s new technology to keep this from happening. The Mexican free-tailed bats fly in the millions at their peak. They’re the state’s official flying mammal and they claim spots all over Texas. In their millions, they will pollinate... Read more
“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 unique character of the Texas Hill Country.” Learn More About HCA
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Hill Country Living FESTIVAL + Rainwater Revival
State Water Plan:
TWDB Director’s presentation on the 2017 State Water Plan
SAWS Vista Ridge Pipeline:
After the Storm:
Letting the River Heal
