A huge natural gas (and possible crude oil) pipeline will be built across Hays County and right through the Wimberley Valley. This is a 42-inch pipeline, bigger than most interstate pipelines (NaturalGas.org).

From the October 11, 2018 Wimberley View: "The current route, which is still in a preliminary form, comes in to Wimberley near Pump Station Road and cuts to the area of Gold Road on Ranch Road 12 just north of Jacob's Well Road. From there, the line continues east near Lone Man Mountain Road to FM 3237 near Rolling Oaks and continues to Kyle. Easements for construction would reach up to 125 feet in width."

View an interactive map of the proposed route through our valley at: www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=7cca3b26c2224de9894eb3e4df78554a&extent=-98.0072,29.9767,-97.8664,30.0572

This pipeline - even if it never breaks or ruptures - has the great potential to do considerable damage to our area, including future property values. The Hill Country is a fragile zone that should be altered only with great care and caution, if at all.

From the Wimberley Valley Watershed Association (WVWA): "The Kinder Morgan Permian Highway Pipeline is currently planned to come through the Hill Country ... Along its route, the pipeline will cross rivers, creeks, karst aquifer recharge zones and critical habitat and come into very close proximity of some of our beloved springs, such as Jacob's Well."

David Baker, Executive Director of the WVWA, asks citizens to learn all that can be done. "People need to get educated about the impact this pipeline would have on our water and the beauty of the Hill Country. We need to know the risks this pipeline presents, and how we can protect our Valley."

CARD urges you and all Wimberley Valley residents to pay close attention to this potential threat to our area. You can start by attending the meeting called by Precinct 3 County Commissioner Lon Shell at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 29 at the Wimberley Community Center, 14068 Ranch Rd 12.

From Commissioner Shell on KXAN: "We will share information about the planned route as well as discuss environmental concerns, property rights and other issues related to the project and its potential impact on Hays County," said Shell. "We want to share what we know now, what we expect, and to hear concerns from our residents." The meeting will include a panel of experts, a presentation, and a Q&A session.

We hope to see you there.

- CARD Steering Committee

CARD publications are written and approved by CARD Steering Committee members. We are listed on our website's About page. Archives and more information also are available on hayscard.org.