The Watershed Association

Natural Bridge Caverns Discovery Days
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 (America/Chicago) | 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

What's Next for Texas Water?
2021-06-07 12:00 - 14:00 | Online
Texas’ underground water supplies are struggling. That creates long-term uncertainty for landowners who rely on groundwater, the rivers and streams that are fed by it, and the plants and wildlife that will die without it. Yet the Legislature has done little in the 2021 legislative session to address Texas’ water future. So what’s next for landowners, local governments, sensitive ecosystems and the rest of the state?
On June 7, please join a panel of landowners, policy leaders and wildlife experts to assess the landscape for water in Texas, the challenges Texas will face in coming months, and our post-session options for addressing them.
This webinar is co-sponsored by Environmental Defense Fund and the Headwaters Alliance, a coalition of landowners focused on keeping the Hill Country’s springs and rivers flowing.

Call for Artists - Sacred Springs Kite Exhibition submissions due
2021-06-01 - 2021-10-01 | Online
Calling all artists! Please submit concepts for art kites by October 1. Artists will receive $1,000 for a selected artwork for the Sacred Springs Kite Exhibition, recognition in the exhibition and accompanying catalog in print and online, as well as in press promotion and community events connected with the touring schedule.
The Sacred Springs Kite Exhibition is the inaugural program of Art4Water, an initiative to advocate for environmental protection through the lens of art. The exhibition is a collaboration between Wimberley Valley Watershed Association (WVWA) and Sky Wind World and brings together the art community around our love for Texas’ great springs. For over a quarter century, WVWA has protected and preserved clean, clear flowing water in Jacob’s Well, across the Hill Country, and all over Texas.
Through this exhibition, Art4Water, Sky Wind World, and WVWA will raise awareness of the vital connection of water to life. With the Well as one example, “Sacred Springs” seeks to float a collection of groundwater icons in the sky.
Full details, touring schedule, and submission instructions:
Art4Water (www.art4water.com)

Protecting Air & Water Through Pipeline Leak Detection
2021-05-20 11:00 - 13:00, 2021-05-18 11:00 - 13:00 | Online
The Pipeline Safety Trust is planning for a return to an in-person conference in 2022, they will continue with virtual conferences. They have two sessions planned for May. The event flyer details topics, speakers, and panelists. Please go to the Conference Page to register. Look for events on the Pipeline Safety Trust Facebook page for more information and updates as the conference gets closer.
May 18, 11am -1pm CDT:
In the first session, discussions will focus on methane, a potent greenhouse
gas, and the new Congressional mandate that pipeline operators begin to eliminate methane emissions.
May 20, 11am – 1pm CDT:
In the second session, discussions will address the August 2020 Colonial Pipeline disaster in North Carolina. The 1.2 million gallon spill, one of the largest gasoline spills in our nation’s history, has contaminated the community’s groundwater.
Organizers are very excited for our topics, speakers, and panelists. Questions for the audience Q&A, can be submitted to questions@pstrust.org. There is a suggested donation of $10 for attending the event. If you are inclined to give more, that would be wonderful! But the organizers don’t want an inability to contribute to keep you from participating, either.

Sustainable Land Stewardship: Creating a Plan for Your Land
2021-05-18 18:00 - 19:30
The Wimberley Village Library is hosting a Zoom webinar about Sustainable Land Stewardship.
Jamie Kinscherff who advises Texas landowners seeking 1-D-1 Wildlife tax status will discuss key elements associated with developing and implementing a sound, informed land management plan.
To register for this event:
Register in advance for this meeting for Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEkcO2hpz8sGdPBgoySKZQYz2Gmx6Ca0uMX

Afterregistering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Organizer: wimberleylibrary@gmail.com

Learn more about the speaker, Jamie Kinscherff (Visit Wimberley bio)

Climate and Weather Trends in the Hill Country (HTGCD Speaker Series)
2021-05-06 17:30 - 19:00, 2021-03-04 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

MUDs in Blanco - Community Meeting
2021-04-06 18:00 - 19:00 | Gem of the Hills, 2233 US-281,, Blanco, TX
Protect Our Blanco is co-sponsoring an educational event with the Hill Country Alliance to help prepare our elected officials and Blanco citizens for growth – Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs)! While we all know that growth can be good and is inevitable, we also know that if it’s not managed effectively we are endangering our precious community.
Find out more about research and innovative solutions for water supplies, wastewater reuse, and water quality protections on the Blanco Water Reclamation Task Force resource page.
This is a free event and you can attend in person at Gem of the Hills or via ZOOM. The link is in the flyer and below:
Please click this URL to join. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85721357704?pwd=[REDACTED]
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Or One tap mobile:
+13462487799,,85721357704#,,,,*[REDACTED]# US

Our Water, Our Environment and Our Way of Life: Economic Drivers for the Wimberley Valley
2021-03-31 10:00 - 12:00 | Online
The Cypress Creek stakeholder’s semi-annual public stakeholder meeting includes a special online event, “Our Water, Our Environment and Our Way of Life: Economic Drivers for the Wimberley Valley.” that features round table discussions with Wimberley Valley experts and keynote speakers:
Lon Shell, Hays County Pct. 3 Commissioner
Dr. Joni Charles, Associate Professor of Economics at Texas State University
Charlie Flatten, General Manager of the Hays-Trinity Groundwater Conservation District
Stick around after the presentations to hear updates on the Cypress Creek Project’s Watershed Protection Plan and other big happenings within the Wimberley Valley
Register online for meeting link

Wimberley Valley Trails Initiative Virtual Public Meeting
2021-03-25 17:30 - 18:30 | Online
Virtual Public Meeting will be held on Thursday, March 25th from 5:30 – 6:30 pm and kicks off the public comment period. Find out more and register for the meeting (or view the archived video post-meeting) here:
Public Meeting | Wimberley Vly Trails (wimberleyvalleytrails.com)
What is Wimberley Valley Trails?
The Wimberley Valley Trails Study is a planning effort by Hays County and the City of Wimberley to increase safety, mobility, and connectivity in the Wimberley and Woodcreek areas through a system of hike-and-bike trails, sidewalks, and related improvements.
Key focus areas:

Multi-use Corridors Master Plan – develop a conceptual Trails Master Plan for walking, hiking, biking, and other transportation options to connect points of interest in the Wimberley region with a series of safe, accessible, multi-use corridors.
Old Kyle Road Improvements – Identify improvements to enhance connectivity, safety, and accessibility between the Wimberley Square to Blue Hole Park and other sections of the trail along the road.

Study Goals:

Involve the community in the planning efforts.
Develop a design based on the history, culture, and natural environment of the region.
Improved connections to points of interests such as parks, schools, and local businesses.
Improve safety, mobility, and connectivity to points of interests such as parks, schools, and local businesses.

Find out more: Home | Wimberley Vly Trails (wimberleyvalleytrails.com)

Wimberley Valley Trails Initiative Public Survey Period
2021-03-25 - 2021-04-12 | Online

Fix-A-Leak Week
2021-03-15 - 2021-03-21 | Online
Leaks are problematic in so many ways. Not only do they waste water, but they create needless extra work for water well pumps and septic systems. This can have an impact on your water bill or even shorten the life of your equipment. This week we encourage everyone to fix that pesky leak and celebrate a job well done!

Wild Neighbors webinar: Animal Tracks and Signs
2021-03-12 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
Join Austin Wildlands on Friday, March 12 from noon to 1pm for this month’s Wild Neighbors webinar: Animal Tracks and Signs: The Language of Nature with Jonah Evans, State Mammologist for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. He’ll talk about how tracks can tell stories about the hidden lives of animals.
Register for the webinar here.

Groundwater Awareness Week
2021-03-07 - 2021-03-13 | Online
Stay tuned this week for aquifer information, well maintenance tips, spring flow trends, and more! We’re planning to highlight the essential role of groundwater in the Hill Country in honor of National Groundwater Awareness Week!

Amplify Austin - Day of Giving
2021-03-04 | Online

Tuesday Night Arts (Wimberley Parks and Rec)
2021-02-12 19:00 - 21:00, 2021-01-12 19:00 - 21:00 | Online
Tuesday Night Arts is a new program from Wimberley’s Parks and Recreation Department in collaboration with the Wimberley Valley Arts and Cultural Alliance (WVACA) created to support artists during COVID and provide a venue for our community to become familiar with the fabulous artists who live here. Jointly produced with WVACA, the two-hour interview and demonstration program will highlight an artist from each of 4 areas: Visual, Literary, Culinary, and Performing Arts.
The programs will take participants “behind the scenes” into the studios of accomplished professionals, who will share their own artistic journeys and talents and offer advice to aspiring painters, actors, musicians, writers, chefs and creatives of all kinds – and provide enjoyment for all who join.
Every second Tuesday of the month, tune in to view the work from 4 different artists, musicians, writers, poets, or chefs from their home studios. A new artist goes live every 30 minutes so come for your favorites or stay to see them all.

Economic Development in Hays and Caldwell Counties - Virtual Discussion
2021-02-11 10:30 - 11:30 | Online
The Greater San Marcos Partnership will host a virtual discussion on Economic Development in Hays and Caldwell Counties. On Thursday, Feb 11, from 10:30 to 11:30 am they’ll host a FREE virtual event where Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra and Caldwell County Judge Hoppy Haden will discuss their plans regarding economic development in our region and what they plan to achieve in their next two years of their terms.
The conversation will be moderated by GSMP president Jason Giulietti.

Economics of Water webinar (Texas Water Journal)
2021-02-11 10:00 - 11:30 | Online
Texas Resources Water Resource Institute (Texas State-San Marcos) will host a webinar discussing recently published research on the economics of water on Thursday, February 11, 2021 at 10 AM. Todd Vottler will moderate then facilitate a round table discussion.
You can learn more about the webinar at https://twj.media/water-journal-webinars/
Justin Thompson, in the Earth Resources Graduate Program at UT, has recently published a paper on his thesis through the Texas Water Journal. The paper is titled “Exploring Groundwater Recoverability in Texas: Maximum Economically Recoverable Storage “. Senior author for the paper is Justin, and is coauthored by Michael Young and Charlie Kreitler. The formal reference is Thompson, Kreitler and Young, 2020, Exploring Groundwater Recoverability in Texas: Maximum Economically Recoverable Storage, Texas Water Resources Institute Texas Water Journal, Volume 11, Number 1, December 10, 2020 Pages 152-171.

Hays Co. Transportation Plan Public Comment Period Closes
2021-02-07 | Online
Your time is now to comment on Hays County’s Transportation Plan update, which has been in development since the summer. Virtual Open House Round 2 and public input survey (due by Feb. 7) are available online: https://www.haystransportationplan.com/open-house-2
Here’s the WVWA synopsis of projects: Survey Window Opens for Draft Hays County Transportation Plan – Wimberley Valley Watershed Association (wimberleywatershed.org)

Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District meeting
2021-01-26 18:00 - 20:00 | Online
REGULAR BOARD MEETING & PUBLIC HEARING
HAYS TRINITY GROUNDWATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
January 26, 2021 6:00 PM
Via Teleconference
AGENDA

Call to Order – 6pm.
Public Comments To address the Board of Directors, please complete and submit a Public Participation Form to District staff. Comments will be limited to this section of the agenda.
Announcements (no discussion or possible action)
Discussion and Possible Action:

1. Proposed draft amendments to the District Enabling Act……………………………………Holly Fults

Adjournment

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PARTICIPATION:
Telephone Conference Opens at 5:45 p.m.
Registration for Public Comment requires submitting a Public Participation Form to staff3@haysgroundwater.com 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 mail to PO Box 1648, Dripping Springs, TX 78620 or by email to staff3@haysgroundwater.com.
Attendees can reach the meeting via telephone at 1 (877) 568-4106, access code: 868-180-029. 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.

Incorporating Mushrooms into Restoration (BCP Forest Restoration Webinars)
2021-01-25 18:00 - 19:30 | Online
The Balcones Canyonlands Preserve is hosting the last two webinars in their BCP Forest Restoration series. The goal of this series is to share best practices and build a community of trained volunteers who will join them on the BCP to enhance and restore functional ecosystems from the ground up. The webinars are free and open to anyone.
Learn more and register for the next webinars through links below:

Soil Biology & Geology- Jan. 11, 6-7:30pm – register here
Incorporating Mushrooms into Restoration – Jan. 25, 6-7:30pm – register here

Please note that you need to register for each individual webinar you want to attend in this series. Catch episodes you missed on their YouTube channel.

Woodcreek Citizens' Comprehensive Plan Committee
2021-01-14 10:00 - 12:00 | Camp Young Judea, 121 Camp Young Judaea Rd, Woodcreek, TX, United States
The City of Woodcreek is updating their comprehensive plan. This Citizens’ Comprehensive Plan Committee will meet to provide input to the City Council. Agenda and full details about the meeting are available at the link below.

Soil Biology & Geology (BCP Forest Restoration webinars)
2021-01-11 18:00 - 19:30 | Online
