Neighbor to Neighbor News Pass it on...                     March 13, 2015 Hill Country News Texas suburbs are growing faster than cities Counties are growing at extremely high rates, in part because of the lack of land use planning ability outside of our cities. This trend has tremendous costs to tax-payers for basic infrastructure needs such as roads, water and schools. “Hays County, just south of Austin, is projected to be the fastest-growing county, by percentage, in all of Texas by 2050” Read more from the  Austin Business Journal. Learn more about County Planning authority here. The Southwest Water Wars An old-fashioned, Western-style water war has erupted. Across Texas and the Southwest, the scene is repeated in the face of a triple threat: booming population, looming drought and the worsening effects of climate change. Read more from New York Times. Isaac Jumping Into Hays County Water Fight With a high-profile groundwater fight raging in his district, state Rep. Jason Isaac is launching a volley of legislation to stop plans to pump huge amounts of water from underneath Hays County. Read more from the Texas Tribune. Representative Isaac issued his own media release yesterday. Read “Rep. Isaac and Sen. Campbell File Water Legislation Aiming to Protect Trinity Aquifer.” here. Creating Vibrant Green Cities: Lessons from Seoul South Korea and San Marcos Join us for a panel discussion with Thomas Hardy, Ph.D., and Matthew Lewis, the City of Austin’s Assistant Director of Planning and Development Review, on the lessons learned from two great green infrastructure projects located an ocean apart. This next event in the Imagine Austin Speaker Series will take place April 1 at the Dougherty Arts Center here. Victory in Comal County The Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance (GEAA) praised the Comal County Commissioners court this week and announced the denial of the Meyers Ranch “Water Quality Improvement District” would have translated to 1,500 homes on 700 acres over the Edwards Recharge Zone. Read more from GEAA. Hunt School builds Rainwater Harvesting model with funds from Rainwater Revival Grant 6th and 7th grade students from Hunt School are learning all about water conservation and rainwater harvesting thanks to a grant from HCA's Rainwater Revival and the generous help of the Hunt Garden Club. Read more from the West Kerr Current.  Spring Break has Sprung! Spring Break is finally upon us. What a perfect time to get outdoors and enjoy the beauty of the Hill Country. Don't forget to grab your camera and snap some shots for the HCA photo contest! Entering is easy through the HCA website. Learn more Upcoming Events March March 13-15 in Llano: Llano Earth Art Fest - Details March 21 in Kyle - "Hays County: Water, Rocks, ‘Rule of Capture’ and the Future of our Native Plants" - Details March 25 in San Antonio - Saving Family Lands Seminar - Hosted by Texas Agricultural Land Trust - Details March 26-29 in Brackettville - Advanced Women of the Land Workshop by TWA - Details March 27-28 in Hunt - "Introduction to Holistic Management and Ecosystem Function" - Part one in HMI's Mitigating Drought with Holistic Management Workshop Series - Details March 28 in Austin - Native Plant Society Spring Symposium at the Wildflower Center - Details March 28 in Stonewall – 8th Annual LBJ 100 Bike Tour - Details March 29 in Johnson City - "Food, Health and the Environment: Why Eating Right Can Save You and the Earth," presented by Ecologist, Dr. G. David Tilman - 4:30 pm at the Hill Country Science Mill in Johnson City. Details April April 1 in Austin - "Creating Vibrant Green Cities: Lessons from Seoul South Korea and San Marcos," part of the Imagine Austin Speaker Series - Details April 4 in Boerne - 25th Annual Cibolo Nature Center Mostly Native Plant Sale (members only pre-sale April 3 from 5-7pm) - Details April 4 in San Antonio - Rain Barrel Workshop - Details April 7-9 in Dallas - Rainwater University 2015 by Texas A&M AgriLife - Who should attend: Texas Flood Plain Managers, Landscape Professionals, Engineers, Architects, Homeowners, Business Owners, Builders, School Districts, City, State and Federal Personnel - Details April 9 - Six-county wildlife program and tour by Texas Agri-Life Extention - Participating counties: Mason, Menard, McCulloch, Llano, Gillespie & Kimble - Details April 22 in Jourdanton - Agri-life Workshop - Presentations by HCA's Sky Jones Lewey, Rainwater Harvesting Expert John Kight and more - Details April 23-24 in Kerrville - The Second Annual Bennett Land Stewardship: “Keys to Hill Country Living" - Details April 24-26 in Fredericksburg - 5th Annual Wings Over the Hills Nature Festival - Details

Connect with HCA       Like us   Follow us  Subscribe HCA Issues Water Resources Scenic Beauty Land Conservation More Get Involved Join Subscribe Donate Endowment HCA Publications Groundwater Conservation Districts The truth about Groundwater Conservation Districts (GCDs), affordable, necessary, essential Surface and Groundwater Policy Integration In Texas, water law and regulatory policy treat groundwater differently, and for the most part, separately from surface water. Conservation Easements Always your choice, a great tool for heritage ranch protection.  Learn about Conservation Easements. Night Skies Communities in the Hill Country want to see the stars at night, find out how you can help protect our night sky. Groundwater Water in the Hill Country is at a crossroads. Learn about our Hill Country groundwater supply. Healthy Riparian Areas An easy way to keep Hill Country streams clean and flowing is to use simple riparian management techniques.