Dear Friend of the Watershed,

We hope this message finds you well and easing into the holiday season. As the year comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect and share the milestones we’ve accomplished together for the land and water of the Hill Country.

Over the next several weeks, leading into the new year, we’ll be sharing stories and highlights from each of our impact areas, offering a closer look at the work you’ve helped make possible over the last year in each of our impact areas. Today, we are sharing our incredible impact locally and regionally in Environmental Planning, Policy, and Advocacy.

2025 Impact Area Highlight

In the heart of Texas, a battle for the future of our water is unfolding. As aquifers draw down, springs diminish, and municipal systems strain under the weight of explosive growth, each Texas legislative session becomes a pivotal moment in shaping the future of our watershed.

The Watershed Association's approach to regional threats is multifaceted: community education, preserving recharge zones, water quality monitoring, and public engagement. While each strategy creates tangible benefits, we recognize that the most profound and lasting changes may occur through policy reform. The legal structures governing water use in Texas must evolve to meet present challenges and rapidly evolving conditions in central Texas.

The bills before lawmakers today have the power to either strengthen essential protections or continue to leave our waters vulnerable to depletion. These bills have the potential to change the trajectory of water availability in our communities today and for generations to come.

The Watershed Association’s work to engage and convene diverse groups of stakeholders around sensitive policy issues has made us instrumental in influencing key policy decisions over our thirty-year history and allowed us to create a collaborative environment and innovative solutions to the critical issues we face.

The 89th Texas Legislative Session brought progress, setbacks, and critical conversations around water, land use, and local authority. From major water funding initiatives to narrowly defeated environmental rollbacks, the session reflected both the urgency of Texas' growing water challenges and the power of sustained advocacy.

The following overview outlines some of the key legislative outcomes, including bills that passed, stalled, or were vetoed, and highlights of the path forward as we head toward the pivotal 90th Legislative Session.

Texas Water Fund & Prop 4

Proposition 4 has officially passed, securing up to $1 billion per year for the next 20 years for the Texas Water Fund. This dedicated investment, an estimated $20 billion total, will support statewide water supply projects, infrastructure upgrades, and conservation efforts. Major funding is expected to begin in the Fall of 2029.

Learn More about Prop 4

Learn more about Texas Water Legislation

Thanks to the Watershed’s intervention, the PUC unanimously denied Aqua Texas' $8.8 million annual rate increase, citing inadequate record-keeping, failure to distinguish maintenance from capital improvements, and a lack of demonstrated customer benefit.

However, Aqua Texas is back with another rate hike proposal, set to take effect on December 22, 2025. To protect the interests of our local communities, the Watershed Association is formally intervening in this case.

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Through collaborative governance and community engagement, Wimberley is creating a resilience model that balances growth with preservation, positioning the community not just to weather future challenges but also to emerge with strength and resiliency.

Learn More about the Regional Comprehensive Plan

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