The Watershed Association

Hays County Commissioners Court
2022-02-01 09:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago) | Hays County Court House, 111 E San Antonio St, San Marcos, TX, 78666, United States
Weekly Court sessions take place at the Hays County Historic Courthouse, located at 111 E. San Antonio St., in San Marcos, Texas. The five-member body of elected officials hold Court beginning at 9 a.m. each Tuesday at the County Courthouse, unless otherwise posted.
Court Agendas
The Court’s agenda is posted on this site each Friday prior to the next session, in addition to various offices throughout the county. Draft agendas are posted here.
Archives of past Court minutes are available as well.
If you would like to have an item placed on the Hays County Commissioners Court agenda, please contact your County Commissioner’s Office.

Commissioners Court Minutes Archive
Weekly Agenda
Commissioners Courtroom Rules of Decorum

For full details and information, check the Hays County Commissioners Court webpage.

Wimberley City Council Meeting
2022-01-20 18:00 - 20:00, 2022-01-06 18:00 - 20:00 | Wimberley City Chambers, 221 Stillwater Drive, Wimberley, TX, 78676, United States
City of Wimberley City Council meetings are held on the first and third Thursdays of each month.
Meetings begin at 6:00 p.m. at the Wimberley City Chambers located at 221 Stillwater Drive, Wimberley, Texas 78676.
2022 Agendas and Meeting Minutes (link)

Woodcreek City Council Meeting
2022-01-12 18:30 - 20:30 | Camp Young Judea, 121 Camp Young Judaea Rd, Woodcreek, TX, United States
Woodcreek City Council meets at 6:30pm on the second Wednesday of each month, usually at Camp Young Judea. Meetings are also streamed online.
Agendas are available on the Meetings webpage (link).

Blanco City Council Meeting
2022-01-11 18:00 - 20:00 | City of Blanco Byars Building, 308 Pecan Street, Blanco, 78606, United States
The Blanco City Council holds regular meetings on the 2nd Tuesday of the month usually at the Byars Building (308 Pecan Street) at 6 p.m. Check agenda for location.
Agendas are posted online on the City Council page (link) and at City Hall 72 hours before meetings.
Meetings are also livestreamed through GoToMeeting. The link is provided in the meeting agenda.

Flooding, Carbon, Climate -- Oh MY! (CCCA Virtual Community Program)
2022-01-11 18:00 - 19:30 | Online
Ever wonder what we can do about flooding, carbon in the air, and climate? Debbie Reid will talk about how conserving land in a watershed can reduce downstream flooding and capture carbon from the atmosphere, thus helping avert the worst consequences of a changing climate. Healthy soils in parks, open spaces, and undisturbed natural areas can hold vast amounts of water and capture a remarkable amount of atmospheric carbon — just two of the many public benefits of keeping land in its healthy natural state. And we can do it right here!
WHO: Guest speaker, Deborah “Debbie” Reid, Technical Director of the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance
WHAT: Virtual Community Program on “Floods, Carbon, Climate — Oh My!”
WHEN: Tuesday, January 11, 2022, 6:00 -7:30 pm
WHERE: Click here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82566882187pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 825 6688 2187
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Free to the public – More info at: https://www.comalconservation.org/upcomingevents.html#Reid

Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District Regular Board Meeting
2022-01-06 17:00 - 19:00
REGULAR BOARD MEETING HAYS TRINITY GROUNDWATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS – HELD IN WIMBERLEY LOCATION
Normal time: 5:00 PM
The location alternates between Wimberley and Dripping Springs.
Wimberley Location: Hays County Extension Office (Meeting Room)
200 Stillwater Rd, Wimberley, TX 78676
Dripping Springs Location: Sunset Canyon Baptist Church, Multi-Purpose Room in the Family Life Center bldg., 4000 US-290 West, Dripping Springs, TX 78620
Check the Agenda on the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District Meetings and Agenda webpage.
Registration for Public Comment requires submitting a Public Participation Form before the meeting begins. Properly registered speakers must limit Public Comments to 5 minutes for all topics. All Public Comments will be made during the Public Comments section of the meeting. Any person participating in the meeting must be recognized and identified by the Presiding Officer each time they speak. The District will accept written comments by 4pm the
business day before the Board Meeting. Written comments may be submitted on any item by email to staff3@haysgroundwater.com or by mail to PO Box 1648, Dripping Springs, TX 78620.
Agenda items may be taken in any order at the discretion of the Board. HTGCD agendas, Public Participation Forms, approved meeting minutes, and any available backup materials are posted on the District website, www.haysgroundwater.com under Quick Links/Agendas/Meeting Year/ Meeting Date.
Click Here to view the Watershed Association’s Comments on the HTGCD proposed rule changes.

Two-Step for Karst Barn Dance
2021-11-14 18:00 - 23:00 | Montesino Ranch, 300 Little Arkansas Rd, Wimberley, 78676, United States
TESPA and WVWA Come Together Again To Educate, To Advocate, To Protect.
We may know and treasure our iconic great springs and nearby karst caves, but this International Year of Karst and Caves is time to get to know and better understand the whole rocky system with holes through which the water flows, that powers creeks and streams to form our great rivers and carve great rolling vistas from the ancient shallow seas that once covered the land.
Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our Newsletters to stay in the loop!
Karst Campaign Activities, June – December, 2021:
June: What is Karst?
July: Karst and Water Quality
Aug: Hill Country Cave and Karst Heroes
Sept: Karst and Water Supplies
Oct: Karst and Development
Nov: Two-Step for Karst Barn Dance
Dec: Cave Tour

Endangered Species, Endangered Caves, Endangered Aquifers (NCKMS)
2021-11-01 - 2021-11-05 | San Marcos Activity Center, San Marcos, 78666, United States
The National Cave and Karst Management Symposium (NCKMS) will be held in San Marcos this year. Volunteers from area grottos, cave and karst organizations, and researchers have lined up an impressive schedule of field trips, workshops, presentations, and networking events. This is a fabulous way to celebrate the International Year of Karst and learn more about Living with Karst locally!
Find out more:
National Cave and Karst Management Symposium 2021 – Endangered Species, Endangered Caves, Endangered Aquifers (nckms.org)

Shred-It Day
2021-10-30 08:00 - 12:00
Keep Wimberley Beautiful, Ozona Bank, HEB, and the City of Wimberley are hosting a Shred-It Day on Oct. 30, from 8am-Noon at the Wimberley Community Center parking lot.
They invite you to bring by all paper household items for shredding! Guidelines for Shred-It Day:
The following ARE okay:

Staples
Small paper clips
Manilla folders
All dimensions of paper
All thickness size of paper except cardboard & no boxes will be shredded

The following ARE NOT okay:

Any other material other than paper (ie: batteries, hard drives, metal, CD’s, & anything else)
No 3 ring binders
No large chunky metal clips/paper clamps

Imagine a Day Without Water
2021-10-21 - 2021-10-22
No water to drink, or wash your hands with. No water to shower, flush the toilet, or do laundry. Hospitals would close without water. Firefighters couldn’t put out fires and farmers couldn’t water their crops. Disease would spread.
This year, we want to help you learn more about where your water comes from and where your water goes. We’ll take a deeper dive into the impact drinking water and wastewater providers have within your community. Many Americans take water for granted every day. But what would a day be like without water?
Imagine a Day Without Water 2021 will be the seventh annual day to raise awareness and educate America about the value of water. Organized by the US Water Alliance, this is a great day to appreciate our incredible water supplies, creeks, rivers, springs, and aquifers.

Drug Take Back
2021-10-20 10:00 - 14:00 | Wimberley Community Center, 14068 Ranch Road 12, Wimberley, TX, 78676, United States
Bring your unused or expired medication for safe disposal through the Drug Take Back program–right here in Wimberley! Thanks to Keep Wimberley Beautiful, the City of Wimberley, and Hays County for hosting the event at the Wimberley Community Center on Wednesday, Oct. 20 between 10am and 2pm.
Safe disposal of medicines helps keep these emerging contaminants out of our aquifers, springs, and rivers. Help protect water supplies and aquatic habitat by bringing old/unused medicines to the Drug Take Back or call your local pharmacy to see if they have a drug disposal kiosk at their location. Hint: The Walgreens at William Cannon and Escarpment has one.

Leadership Summit - A Hill Country Conservation Reunion (HCA)
2021-09-30 08:00 - 18:00 | jester king brewery, 13187 FITZHUGH RD, Austin, TX
The Hill Country Alliance’s annual Leadership Summit will be held outdoors at Jester King Brewery and livestreamed online, Thursday, September 30. Topics span from Hill Country Conservation Network metrics, dark skies, cedar, One Water, and much more!
The Wimberley Valley Watershed Association staff will participate in the One Water panel and reinforce the need for innovation in alternate supplies to protect our creeks, rivers, springs, and water supplies.

Diving Deep into Karst webinar
2021-09-08 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
As part of the Deep in the Karst of Texas education initiative, WVWA and TESPA hosted a lunchtime webinar on Wednesday, September 8, 2021. Presenters discussed the International Year of Caves and Karst, Texas karst and conservation initiatives, and recent well visits.
From global to local, this discussion is insightful and entertaining. We hope you enjoy!
The recording of the webinar is available:.

Presentations and links in the order they appeared:

Diving through Jacob’s Well, Jacobs Well Exploration Project (YouTube link)
David Baker, Executive Director of the Wimberley Valley Watershed Association and Patrick Cox, Executive Director of the Trinity Edwards Springs Protection Association:

Presentation: Webinar Agenda & Information (pdf)
Water Protectors Fund (website)

George Veni, Executive Director, National Cave and Karst Research Institute (NCKRI)
and President, International Union of Speleology (UIS):

Presentation: The International Year of Caves and Karst and Texas Karst (pdf)
UIS International Year of Caves and Karst (video, website)
National Caves and Karst Research Institute (website)

Robin Gary, Managing Director, Wimberley Valley Watershed Association:

Presentation: The 60+ Well Report, Karst and Hill Country Wells (pdf)
Karst 101 and Deep in the Karst of Texas education program (webpage)
Neighborhood Site Visits – Trinity Aquifers (webpage)

Funding for the Deep in the Karst of Texas education campaign provided by the Water Protectors Fund.

Lights Out, Texas (Critical Fall Migration Period)
2021-09-05 - 2021-10-29
Did you know that 1 out of every 4 birds migrating through the U.S. in fall passes through Texas? Because most migratory birds fly at night, bright lights of commercial and residential buildings attract and disorient birds, causing collisions and leaving birds vulnerable to threats on the ground.
Here’s how you can help: turn out all non-essential lights outside and inside from 11 pm – 6 am every night through November 30, especially during the peak migration period of September 5 – October 29. Learn more and sign up for bird migration alerts: https://texanbynature.org/lightsouttexas/

HTGCD Water Wise Speakers Series - Wimberley One Water School
2021-09-02 17:00 - 19:00
The 4th installment of the HTGCD 2021 Water Wise Speaker Series features the innovative conservation design used in the creation of the Wimberley’s Blue Hole Primary school, which was built following One Water design principles. Bring questions for a brief Q&A period following this presentation. See the September Board Meeting Agenda on haysgroundwater.com for more information.
Meeting details:
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
HAYS TRINITY GROUNDWATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
September 2, 2021 – 5:00 PM
Sunset Canyon Baptist Church
4000 US-290 West, Dripping Springs, TX 78620

Karst Walk at Blue Hole Regional Park
2021-09-01 - 2021-09-30 | Blue Hole Regional Park, 100 Blue Hole Lane, Wimberley, TX, 78676, United States
Take a hike! Visit the Karst Walk all September at Blue Hole Regional Park‘s Prince-Provost trail–the trail between the Main Office and the Pavilion near the playground. This is the walking tour of Karst 101 compiled for the #DeepInTheKarstOfTexas education initiative in honor of the International Year of Caves and Karst.

Exercise your mind and body, learn about karst, water, and connections, and enjoy a beautiful part of the Texas Hill Country!

Find out more at: https://watershedassociation.org/…/education-and…/karst/

https://www.facebook.com/wimberleywatershed/videos/558040862280601/?source=13&player_origin=unknown&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARDTTxMa9KUcI9VUqh_CHiMPm-_LhHjVffQLGqh0SgjCqGLO9su2H3MCQixLJ35zEb7kTFXPbf86iy4NDnMteem_OCwEvqC9HgxmNa2GusWRtb2UO2EwFlkU-VxLtjsME3vo8ES0v7sJEVklN6duk3rW39ImBgRBv6zhNR4-2UV0ex8M5WeRGbeanmNQdUdcYm6khsah3AtN5CvpvijcKGTsYelllKHXQEvlUJceDX7Gx_czgAnb193bjViNnuXmDkjL-vOPdTrvWsIn8q0S-2qssjVhJFnZw1sJklzTPyA11pwYUvTXJ9aGJERqQiEObw

Cypress Flows: Stakeholder Meeting
2021-07-29 18:00 - 19:00 | Online
Hello Cypress Creek Friends and Neighbors,
Due to concerns over rising COVID-19 cases and out of an abundance of caution, we will be moving our Stakeholder Meeting to an online format. Please RSVP to the meeting, to receive instructions on how to join the Zoom meeting.
Cypress Creek Project Stakeholder Meeting
July 29th, 2021 | 6:00 pm
Topics for discussion include:
• A video tour of Blue Hole Primary School by the students.
• Water quality ordinances and new development.
• A new intensive E.coli study on Lower Cypress Creek, led by the Meadows Center.
• Updates on the Wimberley Library’s One Water expansion.
• Conservation efforts at Coleman’s Canyon.
• Hays County Parks and Open Spaces Advisory Commission updates.
• Jacob’s Well Groundwater Management Zone implementation and GMA#9 Desired Future Conditions.
• Upcoming meetings, workshops, and events.
We look forward to hearing from you on these topics and others that you would like to bring to the attention of other engaged stakeholders. A formal agenda will be sent out prior to the meeting.

Financing Nature-Based Solutions: Role of Environmental Credits (webinar)
2021-07-29 13:00 - 14:30 | Online
You probably know carbon markets are heating up rapidly (no pun intended) and demand to buy carbon credits is skyrocketing. But what do you know about the supply chain of carbon credits (and other environmental credits)? How are they originated, who creates them, and how do they get to market?
On Thursday, July 29 at 1pm (Central Time) panelists will delve into the ins and outs of environmental credits such as carbon credits, biodiversity credits, and water credits. If you’ve ever wondered whether your project could create or ‘originate’ credits as a means to get funding, or if you need to find other suppliers to meet your organization’s sustainability targets, this is the session for you.
EcoMetrics and AQAIX are hosting this free webinar. Click here to register:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3DlRzE8vT1uhuwMwDN6YuA
They have three top experts lined up as panelists:
Sara Cook, Senior Manager, Conservation Strategy, Wildlife Habitat Council. Sara has many years experience leading corporate sustainability practice, and is an expert on efforts to support habitat, biodiversity, and pollinator credit trading.
Brent Fewell, Founder; Earth and Water Law. Brent has over 26 years in conservation and environmental law, and served as principal Deputy Assistant Administrator at the U.S. EPA’s Office of Water. Brent is an expert on various forms of water credits including water quality offset credits.
Dan Linsky, Vice President, Voluntary Markets, ClimeCo. Dan has over 13 years experience in carbon trading and renewable energy, and is an expert on corporate purchasing of credits to offset emissions.

Neighborhood Site Visits - Trinity Aquifers
2021-07-20 - 2021-08-05
This summer the Watershed Association is collaborating with the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (HTGCD) and the Comal Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (CTGCD) to provide a limited number of Trinity Aquifer water well visits. Previous Neighborhood Site Visits have focused on Edwards in the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District and Trinity wells in the eastern portion of the HTGCD.
This year we are focusing on Trinity Aquifer well owners in southwestern Hays County and northern Comal County:

Area 1: July 20 & 22, Burnett Ranches, Mountain View, Lost Springs
Area 2: July 27 & 29, Hill Country Ranches, Ledgerock, Pump Station Rd
Area 3: Aug. 3 & 5, Mustang Valley, Fischer Store Road
Area 4: July 21 & 28, Fischer, RR32, Devils Backbone, Horton Preiss Road

Find out more and sign up for a slot at: Summer 2021 Neighborhood Site Visits – Trinity Aquifers

On River Time (Wimberley Radio)
2021-07-07 08:00 - 17:00
David Baker joins On River Time host, Duanne Redus in this week’s radio show live on Wimberley Radio (KWVH, 94.3).
Listen live from 2-3, Thursday July 8th, 2021.
Radio | Wimberley Valley Radio | United States (kwvh.org)

Climate and Weather Trends in the Hill Country (HTGCD Speaker Series)
2021-07-01 17:30 - 19:00 | Online
The Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District has announced its 2021 Water-20 Speaker Series. Subject matter experts will discuss a variety of water topics important to Hays County residents.
Hays County is listed by the US Census Bureau as the second fastest growing county in the United States. Great schools, good housing, proximity to growing business opportunities, and a beautiful landscape are all drivers for our growth.
Its most precious resource is water. The Trinity Aquifer deep below has a limited recharge capacity and will not support the growth coming in the next 20-years. The County needs to maximize efficiency of use and diversify its water supply portfolio to keep local communities healthy and viable long into the future.
Rainwater is already being collected on homesteads and larger buildings across Hays County. Water-wise landscaping, land conservation, and climate trends are all important parts of a strategy to protect our aquifers.
Speakers will present at 5:30 live and online. Dial-in information will be on the District website www.HaysGroundwater.com the week before each presentation. Check the schedule for upcoming dates.
Topics will include:

March 4, 2021: Scalable Solutions — Rainwater Harvesting with James Grizzard, Harvest Rain
May 6, 2021: Water Wise Lawns and Gardens with Hays County Master Naturalists
July 1, 2021: Climate and Weather Trends in the Hill Country: John Nielson-Gammon, State Climatologist

Additional topics to follow:

Benefits of Land Conservation on Water Resources: Lori Olson, Texas Land Trust Council
Wimberley One-Water School – Innovative Conservation Design with Nick Dornak, Meadows Center for Water and the Environment

GMA 9 Desired Future Conditions - Public Comments Due
2021-06-30
GMA 9: 30 foot drawdown of Trinity Aquifer
Groundwater Management Area 9 | Texas Water Development Board

Natural Bridge Caverns Discovery Days
2021-06-27, 2021-06-26, 2021-06-20, 2021-06-19, 2021-06-13, 2021-06-12
Natural Bridge Caverns | Discovery Days

iNaturalist 101 at Coleman's Canyon Preserve
2021-06-18 08:30 - 11:00 | Coleman’s Canyon Preserve
Join WVWA staff, Restoration Rangers, and Hays County Master Naturalists for an iNaturalist overview and mini-bioblitz at the Coleman’s Canyon Preserve. Please RSVP to robingary@wimberleywatershed.org to be added to the list. Space is limited and access to the preserve is closed to the public at this time.
Attendees will hike and explore the Preserve to document flora and fauna for a species richness project through iNaturalist.
Coleman’s Canyon Preserve · iNaturalist
