Comal County needs to borrow tools from Hays

September 14, 2020
Economics of Sound Planning

I want to thank Craig Massouh for the article published on August 21 about the work being done to protect our environmental resources in Comal County. Cliff Kaplan, the operations manager for the Hill Country Alliance (HCA) pointed out that “Hays County just agreed to put on the Nov. 3 election a $75-$80 million item to address the need for 16 parks throughout its county, including six in San Marcos and one in Kyle.” The article concluded by explaining what…

Texans must treat every drop of water as precious

September 8, 2020
Drought

The state of Texas is a behemoth. At some 268,000 square miles — from the Piney Woods of East Texas, the Hill Country and the Panhandle to the desert mountains of West Texas and the Gulf Coast — the Lone Star State encompasses disparate climate regions, each with varied economic, social and environmental drivers. As climate change continues, each of these areas will change. As a general rule, scientists predict a significantly warmer and drier climate — with occasional catastrophic…

Blue Hole Primary wins TWDB Rain Catcher Award

September 8, 2020
Economics of Sound Planning

The Wimberley Valley Watershed Association is so proud of the collective accomplishment that is Wimberley ISD’s One Water School – Blue Hole Primary. The honor of the 2020 TWDB Rain Catcher Award will be shared by the many hands and minds that came together to make this reality—not just theory. The Wimberley Valley Watershed Association has a long history of preserving and protecting water resources in Hays County and the greater Hill Country. Locally, we see water resources that are…

Texas Water Development Board announces the 2020 Texas Rain Catcher Award recipients

September 8, 2020
Economics of Sound Planning

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) announced today the recipients of its annual Texas Rain Catcher Award, a rainwater harvesting competition and recognition program. The award recipients have displayed excellence in rainwater harvesting in Texas in four categories: commercial/industrial, agricultural, educational/governmental, and residential. Congratulations to the 2020 Texas Rain Catcher Award winners: Anodamine, Inc. for its rainwater harvesting system and reuse for industrial processes The Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District and the Parker County Livestock Improvement Association for their rainwater…

Hays County kicks off Wimberley Valley Trails Initiative

September 8, 2020
Economics of Sound Planning

Hays County is kicking-off its new Wimberley Valley Trails initiative, an effort to develop a multi-year vision to improve connectivity in the City of Wimberley and surrounding areas. This vision includes a system of hike and bike trails, multi-modal transportation options, and other strategies to help connect people with nature and link regional points of interest in the community. Read more from San Marcos Corridor News here.

Manager of the SA River Authority to step down, lead The Nature Conservancy in Texas

September 8, 2020
Conservation Easements

Suzanne Scott, the longtime general manager of the San Antonio River Authority, is planning to step down at the end of October to take over as the The Nature Conservancy’s state director in Texas, according to news releases. Scott worked for the river authority for more than two decades, of which 13 years she spent running the agency as general manager, according to a news release from the agency. Read more from Marina Starleaf Riker with San Antonio Express-News here.

‘God is not making more Honey Creeks’: Longtime neighbors clash over planned Hill Country development

September 8, 2020
Groundwater Resources

Fed by water pouring out of Honey Creek Cave, the stream forms a series of pools and riffles, shaded by towering cypress and sycamore trees. Bass, sunfish, and other native fish dart beneath the lily pads dotting the surface of the clear water. Biologists consider the creek one of the most pristine examples left in the region of what Hill Country creeks looked like before European settlement. Development was probably inevitable for this area on the northern fringes of the…

Healthy Creeks Initiative underway

September 8, 2020
Habitat Conservation Plans

Contractors will soon begin the annual control efforts to manage Arundo along the Pedernales River and several tributary creeks. Arundo, also referred to as Giant Reed or Carrizo Cane, is a non-native, invasive plant that can take over creeks and rivers. Since 2016, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD), Hill Country Alliance (HCA), City of Fredericksburg, and other organizations have partnered with participating landowners through the Healthy Creeks Initiative to control Arundo and enhance the creek-side (or riparian) habitat…

To manage wildfire, California looks to what tribes have known all along

August 27, 2020
Cedar/Brush Management

Fire has always been part of California’s landscape. But long before the vast blazes of recent years, Native American tribes held annual controlled burns that cleared out underbrush and encouraged new plant growth. Now, with wildfires raging across Northern California, joining other record-breaking fires from recent years, government officials say tackling the fire problem will mean bringing back “good fire,” much like California’s tribes once did. Read more Lauren Sommer with NPR here.

Hardberger Park land bridge in final stretch of development ahead of fall opening

August 27, 2020
Land Conservation and Stewardship

Phil Hardberger Park’s Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge is approaching its final stages of construction and is expected to be completed in the fall. The 150-foot-wide bridge will connect the east and west areas of Phil Hardberger Park, creating a safe passage for people and animals while replicating the surrounding environment. It will include a SkyWalk, or elevated walkway, that extends to the treetops and a trail designed to accommodate people with disabilities, including those using wheelchairs, that connects to…