Dear Hill Country Neighbors,
With clear blue skies, falling cypress leaves, and colder temperatures rolling through the Hill Country - December is here! We hope this email finds you feeling recharged from last week's Thanksgiving festivities, whatever form they may have taken for you and your loved ones. In a year no one could have predicted, we have found solace in the beauty of this incredible region and the ongoing support of our Hill Country friends and neighbors.
Today is Giving Tuesday, and more than ever, we are grateful to be a part of this global celebration of generosity. As a lean 501c3 non-profit with low-overhead costs, your donations go directly towards supporting our ongoing work for the land, water, night skies, and communities of the Hill Country. Click here to support the Hill Country Alliance this Giving Tuesday.
In this week's installment, we have compiled some of the latest and greatest Hill Country news - from ongoing aggregate mining challenges to recent water quality and wastewater developments. Explore highlights and resources from both the Hill Country Alliance and our partners, find events happening online or in-person near you, and be sure to order your copy of the 2021 Hill Country Calendar - now available for purchase!
We hope you enjoy,
The Hill Country Alliance Team
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PHOTO CONTEST: 2020 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, many of these special qualities are at risk of being lost forever. Read more
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COMMUNITY: The power of the outdoors: Embracing cultura y familia with Latino Outdoors leaders Josie Gutierrez and Bianca Guevara
A conversation with Josie Gutierrez and Bianca Guevara will make you believe anything is possible—especially when the following are in play: 1) a passion for the outdoors, 2) a love of community, and 3) the hard work of dedicated volunteers. Read more
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AGGREGATE MINING: As Texas grows, communities face an unwelcome neighbor: concrete companies. Homeowners have few options.
Peggy Watson noticed a few months ago that one of her neighbors was clearing his 78-acre plot of land. It was a matter of time, she thought. Her rural and “eclectic” neighborhood outside Austin was getting more valuable by the day as the city grew. But it wouldn’t be an apartment complex that would occupy the unrestricted land in Oak Hill, as she and her neighbors anticipated. Read more
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REGIONAL PLANNING: SwRI researchers evaluate impact of wastewater systems on Edwards Aquifer
Southwest Research Institute developed an integrated hydrologic computer model to evaluate the impact of different types of wastewater disposal facilities on the Edwards Aquifer, the primary water source for San Antonio and its surrounding communities. Read more
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CONSERVATION & STEWARDSHIP: Accepting & loving a river
The Nueces River is vast, even by Texas standards. It starts high up on the Edwards Plateau. Sourced by emerald, spring-fed creeks in Edwards and Real Counties, the Nueces River cuts through the rocky Hill Country before pivoting amidst the South Texas Brush Country, onward toward the coastal prairie; it pauses at Lake Corpus Christi before it ultimately empties into the Gulf of Mexico at Nueces Bay. Read more
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NIGHT SKIES: Texas community a shining example of coexisting with dark skies
A dark sky is important – it maintains wildlife and keeps the world’s eco-system balanced. Without it, everything is thrown off. Light pollution has even been linked to negative consequences for human health. Read more
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WATER QUALITY: Dripping Springs cannot discharge treated wastewater into Onion Creek tributary, Texas court rules
The 459th Texas District Court has reversed a wastewater discharge permit issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) commissioners to the City of Dripping Springs. The discharge permit, which was issued on Feb. 27, 2019, allowed the City to begin expansion of its wastewater treatment plant and address the area’s growing wastewater needs. Read more
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GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT: Hamilton Pool Road development dispute has implications for entire Barton Springs Zone — Key decision imminent
If anyone is feeling nostalgic for a 1980s or early 1990s style Austin growth battle they might want to check in on Bee Cave and the surrounding area. There, residents are locked in a fierce, high stakes battle with the City Council and the West Travis County Public Utility Agency (WTCPUA) over a development off Hamilton Pool Road near Little Barton Creek. Read more
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GROUNDWATER
TGR Board seeks to fill two board slots
Read More →
CONSERVATION & STEWARDSHIP
Biodiversity study reveals promising ways to mitigate monarch population loss
Read More →
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LAND STEWARDSHIP
Fishing, hunting, protecting, preserving
Read More→
WILDLIFE & DROUGHT
Imperiled Central Texas mussels bring conservation focus to the San Saba River
Read More →
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COMMUNITY NEWS
New all-ability park enhancements now open in Landa Park and Morningside Park
Read More →
CONSERVATION & STEWARDSHIP
New spring monitoring program assesses the health of the state’s aquifers
Read More →
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PUBLIC LANDS
As concrete sprawls, Fort Worth plans to spend millions to save land from development
Read More →
REGIONAL CONSERVATION
Voters approve Hays County Parks Bond
Read More →
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...AND MUCH MORE!
Check out HCA’s website for all of the latest news, including more aggregate mining news from Williamson County, a look back at the Barton Springs' conservation success story from Austin Monthly, and an in-depth look at the economic future of Texas water supply and demand from the World Economic Forum.
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Featured Photo: Gold Framed Capitol - Tim Speer, 2020
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Purchase the 2021 Hill Country Calendar
HCA’s annual Texas Hill Country Calendar features imagery from the 2020 Hill Country Photo Contest, highlights the beauty of the region, and provides an informative resource on Hill Country conservation.
*The 2021 Hill Country Calendar is at the printer and presale orders are available now - please allow additional time for delivery!*
Learn more→
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Texas farm and ranch land conservation program publishes evaluation report
This new report examines conservation easements executed under the Texas Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program, evaluating ecological and economic values secured through the protection of these properties as well as the fiscal efficiency of state funds to protect working lands with high agricultural value at a relatively low cost for state residents.
Read the report→
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Social Media Spotlight!
"Announcing the 2020 Hill Country Alliance Photo Contest 2nd Place WINNER!
This year’s second place award features a foxy friend! Congratulations to Carol Serur, the photographer who submitted this image of a gray fox - titled “Hiding in plain sight” - to the 2020 Hill Country Photo Contest."
Click here to see all photo contest results 📸
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Mitchell L. Mathis Program in
Environmental Water Economics established
Prop B is a $460m safe mobility bond package that will appear on the November ballot in Austin. If passed, this bond would be the single largest investment in walking, bicycling, and safe streets in Austin’s history.
Learn more from the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation→
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