The Watershed Association, in partnership with the Mothering Earth Podcast, Hays County, and the cities of Wimberley and Woodcreek, is excited to announce Water Wise, a new community education series designed to cultivate water resiliency here in the Hill Country.

The first event will take place on October 25th at the Wimberley Village Library from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM, opening with a conversation on Aquifer Health and the State of Our Water. Speakers from the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, and the Hays County Master Naturalists will reflect on the current state of our water and explore the pathways to protecting it for future generations.

Water conservation efforts are crucial in our community, yet many people remain unaware of the simple steps they can take to protect water in their daily lives. As we know all too well, Jacob’s Well has seen historic declines in flow, wells are running dry, and our aquifers are under increasing stress. The realities are urgent, but they are also an invitation. How can we cultivate abundance even in drought?

To help answer this question, Water Wise will bring together voices from across the region to spark dialogue, share practical solutions, and empower residents to become stewards of the land and water we all depend on.

The series will continue into 2026, offering workshops that inform, inspire, and equip our community with tangible ways to conserve our most precious resource—water. For the full list of dates and to register, visit the link below.

Come as you are. Leave as a steward. Let’s fall in love with this land all over again—and show that even in drought, our landscapes can be places of beauty, resilience, and renewal.

[Photo: Blanco River below Blanco Waste Water Treatment Plant when Discharging Effluent]

On September 11th, community members, city officials, and TCEQ staff gathered in Blanco to discuss the City’s wastewater treatment plant permit renewal. The meeting combined informal Q&A with a formal comment period, giving residents and organizations the chance to voice their concerns and hopes for the Blanco River.

The City explained that while the permit allows for a daily discharge of up to 225,000 gallons, their goal is “zero discharge” through expanded irrigation and reuse. Over the past 18 months, the City has successfully avoided discharging treated water by applying it to land instead. The question remains: Can the City locate and build out additional TLAP acreage before a discharge is required? 

**In TCEQ-speak, a TLAP authorizes a city/utility to apply treated wastewater to land (e.g., spray fields or subsurface drip) instead of discharging to a creek/river. 

Discharge into the Blanco is widely unpopular due to high phosphorus levels creating algal blooms downstream. A notable change in the draft permit is the addition of a Total Phosphorus (TP) limit; however, the limit itself, at 0.15, is high for the sensitive waterway, and compliance would not be required for three years. This interim period allows the City time to develop more effective filtration and TLAP systems. However, in the meantime, this permit grants officials the authority to significantly alter the nature and health of the Blanco if necessary.

Photo above: City of Blanco Effluent Discharges into Blanco River 2023-2025

Photo above: City of Blanco Effluent Discharge Route

Residents, environmental groups, and advocates—including the Watershed Association—praised the City’s recent no-discharge track record but raised concerns about the permit as written. There was a clear call for additional provisions:

• Stronger phosphorus protections starting immediately, not after three years.
• Clear requirements to maximize reuse and storage before any discharge.
• Limits that reflect the sensitivity of spring-fed rivers and the science showing how excess nutrients fuel algae blooms.

Several speakers urged TCEQ and the City to align the permit with the City’s own stated commitment to One Water practices and zero discharge. As one resident put it, discharge should remain a “last resort” rather than a routine option. [Read More: View the Full Meeting Presentation]

The meeting closed with assurances that all formal comments will be reviewed before TCEQ issues a final decision. The Watershed Association will continue to track this process and advocate for a permit that truly safeguards the Blanco River and the aquifers it feeds.

The Watershed Association and Texas State University’s Meadows Center for Water and the Environment briefed the Hays County Commissioners Court on the Blanco-Cypress Watershed Protection Plan (BCWPP), a three-year interlocal effort uniting Hays County, Wimberley, Woodcreek, the Watershed Association, and the Meadows Center. In attendance were Woodcreek Council Member Debra Hines, Wimberley Mayor Jim Chiles, and Mayor Pro Tem Rebecca Minnick. The update underscored what rapid growth, drought, and land-use change mean for our rivers and aquifers—and how the BCWPP is turning concern into coordinated action.

“To understand Hays County is to truly understand our water. We are blessed and proud to have such a unified front on these issues. This work benefits the entire county, not just the valley.”

~ Morgan Hammer, Hays County Commissioner ~

Now in its second year, the agreement funds the Clean Rivers Program, the Wimberley Advisory Group, Texas Stream Team, and a full-time Watershed Coordinator in Hays County Parks & Natural Resources. [Read More: ILA/BCWPP Collaboration Presentation]

Year-one outcomes include 1,775 students and teachers reached through 33 school programs, 30+ new storm-drain markers installed, 12,000+ residents engaged through outreach, and expanded water-quality monitoring across 43 monitoring sites—work that is already informing responses to nutrient spikes on the Upper Blanco and elevated E. coli in parts of Cypress Creek. [Click here to read the full program update.]

County leaders and local mayors praised the partnership’s momentum and the shared-governance model that keeps science, policy, and community outreach aligned.



“Rapid growth, drought, and land-use change are putting enormous stress on our rivers and aquifers. The Blanco-Cypress Watershed Protection Plan is how we protect public health, safety, and quality of life—getting ahead of these threats with smart, local action.”

~ David Baker, Executive Director, Watershed Association ~

The program’s next phase will support conservation-minded subdivision rules, map stormwater and wastewater systems, expand One Water trainings, and launch the Water Wise public education series beginning October 25th in Wimberley.

“The Blanco Cypress Watershed Protection Plan is rooted in decades of collaboration,” said Jenna Walker, Director of Watershed Studies at the Meadows Center. “Philanthropy, government, academia, volunteers, and local businesses have all contributed. With the Interlocal Agreement, we now have shared governance, measurable outcomes, and a dedicated coordinator to keep the work going.”

The Watershed Association was a proud sponsor of the Texas Water Foundation’s Annual Rainmaker Award Dinner, which honored Rep. Cody Harris (Palestine, TX) for championing landmark legislation to permanently fund water infrastructure in Texas. Many leaders have tried for decades to secure consistent funding for the Texas Water Development Board; this generational step stands on more than 30 years of groundwork.

That momentum is now in the hands of voters. On November 4th, Proposition 4 will appear on the ballot—an opportunity to lock in long-term, statewide investment in Texas' water infrastructure and future. We outline what passage of Prop 4 would mean for supply, repairs, and resilience in the article below.

Hays County showed up in force—Commissioners Morgan Hammer and Walt Smith, former Commissioner Lon Shell, Woodcreek Mayor Pro Tem Chrys Grummert, Woodcreek Council member Debra Hines, and partners from the Watershed Association, legal counsel, and Trinity Edwards Springs Protection Association (TESPA) — a clear signal that our community is aligned and ready to secure a resilient water future for the Hill Country and Texas.

Prop 4: A Long-Term Investment in Texas Water

Texas voters will soon decide on Proposition 4, a constitutional amendment to dedicate up to $1 billion per year from existing sales tax revenue for 20 years to the Texas Water Fund. The aim is straightforward: create a stable, long-horizon funding stream to repair aging systems, build new supply, and strengthen water security as population grows and drought intensifies.

The fund will focus on three priorities—developing new water sources, repairing aging infrastructure, and strengthening the water workforce—to secure a reliable water future. As the western half of the state faces growing scarcity, it can help small towns save every drop and, where appropriate, lay the groundwork for coordinated, large-scale municipal water strategies.

This vote builds on recent momentum. In 2025, state leaders added $2.5 billion in supplemental funding for water projects and advanced a legislative package to put Prop 4 on the ballot—part of the largest water-infrastructure effort in state history.

Texas Water Foundation Independent coverage echoes the scope: a multi-decade plan pairing system repairs with new supplies (including reuse and other strategies) to address growing shortages.

Prop 4 didn’t come out of nowhere. It’s the latest step in a decades-long arc that began with 1997’s Senate Bill 1, which created the regional, bottom-up State Water Plan. Prop 4 extends that legacy by aligning steady funding with locally shaped projects—so communities can plan, build, and actually finish the work.

What Prop 4 Does:

Provides a dedicated source of funding for local and regional water, wastewater, and flood infrastructure projects – paid for with existing sales tax revenue.

What it DOES NOT do:

It does NOT increase or impose state taxes or fees.

The Vote: Texans will vote on Prop 4 during the 2025 election.

• Early Voting October 20 – October 31, 2025
• Election Day, November 4, 2025.

Get Involved

From the bottom of Jacob’s Well, thank you for sustaining this work. Because of you, our on-the-ground efforts to protect and preserve the lands and waters that sustain us can continue.

The Watershed Association Board & Staff

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