Dear Friends of the Watershed,

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the first Something in the Water, Live Music Series at the 7A Opera House. The music series is a collaboration led by Wimberley locals, Skylar Wilson and Max Piotrzkowski, and was created to bring our community together through a shared love for Water, Art, and Music.

The evening was a true celebration—filled with dancing to the incredible sounds of Georgia Parker and the Sentimental Family Band. The event was an incredible illustration of our shared commitment to our community and the beautiful and fragile springs, creeks and rivers that make Wimberley special.

Mark your calendars for our second show on December 6th, featuring Kelsey and Alexander from Wild Child and John Calvin Abney.

The Watershed Association is thrilled to partner with the One Village Project to bring their Emerging Visionary Incubator program to Central Texas in March 2025.

With over 25 years of experience, the One Village Project’s Institute for Emerging Visionaries has crafted a transformative educational model that empowers changemakers to bring resilience and purpose to their communities and the Earth.

This five-day immersive experience for ages 20-30 will connect young leaders to the natural world, nurturing their creativity and problem-solving skills beyond traditional education. By cultivating a network of empowered visionaries, this program aims to inspire a new generation of environmental stewards, ready to address global challenges and create lasting change in Texas and beyond.

Click Here to Learn About Sponsoring a Visionary Delegate

News & Updates

Over Pumping and Wasting of Hill Country Water:

Ruling from State’s Public Utility Commission

Advances Community’s Fight Against Aqua Texas

The tens of thousands of Texans who depend on Hill Country groundwater secured a critical next step to hold water utility Aqua Texas (AQUA) accountable. For years, Aqua Texas has had reckless operations that have unlawfully pumped and wasted significant amounts of Hill Country groundwater that residents depend on.

In response to a formal complaint filed against AQUA by the Trinity Edwards Springs Protection Association (TESPA), the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) issued a Preliminary Order, referring the matter to the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) for a fully evidentiary hearing on Aqua’s violations.

TESPA’s formal complaint asserts that AQUA’s longstanding misuse and abuse of Texas water has violated PUC requirements for water utilities, placing the reliability of Texas Hill Country groundwater at serious risk.

In its filing, TESPA requested the PUC to either decrease Aqua’s customer base in the Wimberley area or to mandate significant changes to its operations.

“TESPA is very gratified with this action by the PUC,” said Jim Blackburn, President of TESPA. “We filed an action because what is occurring with Aqua should not be allowed to continue, and we filed this action because we needed a state remedy to this state of Texas problem. We now have a chance to prove our case before an Administrative Law Judge.’

For at least two years, Aqua failed to abide by Texas groundwater law and over-pumped its permit by more than 150 million gallons. After years of non-compliance with Texas law, the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District denied Aqua’s applications to renew groundwater permits in 2023, which means the company currently has no legal access to water supply for approximately 2,000 homes in Hays County.

Aqua continues to pump without a permit. Their continued dependency on an unlawful groundwater supply means that water for many Hays County customers is unreliable and affects all nearby who lawfully depend on Hill Country groundwater.

As always, we THANK YOU for your ongoing support and dedication to preserve and protect our beloved Hill Country Land and Water.

For the Love of Water,

The Watershed Association Board and Staff

Click Here to Protect Texas Water

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