Water and Equity in the Texas Hill Country

Authors: Angelica Lopez, Roel Lopez, Armando Alonzo, Matthew Crawford, Addie Smith, Daniela Barrientos, Brittany Wegner, David Baker, Marisa Bruno, Sharlene Leurig, Robert Mace, Katherine Romans, John Rooney, Jennifer Walker, Vanessa Puig-Williams

The Texas Hill Country Conservation Network (THCCN) coordinates partnerships working to scale up the impact of conservation-focused organizations in the region. To achieve their respective missions, the partnership needed an assessment of water challenges and how these challenges impact Hill Country communities, particularly those communities comprised of underserved or at-risk populations. This report provides a baseline, holistic understanding of where diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and environmental justice (EJ) issues intersect with water issues and challenges within the Texas Hill Country, and, further, outlines key findings and defines action items moving forward. 

As a companion to the report, the THCCN created a Water and Equity Mapping Webtool that is open to the public to visualize data in the report representing people, communities, and water characteristics and challenges in the Texas Hill Country. You can also find the Water and Equity Mapping Webtool User Guide on the homepage of the Webtool.