Page 40 - Wings CRS Recruiting Booklet SM_Neat
P. 40
TEXAS HILL COUNTRY
AROUND THE AREA
The Texas Hill Country is a desert spoon, and wildflow- quake along the Balcones
geographical region located ers in the Llano Uplift. The Fault.
in the Edwards Plateau at predominant trees in the
the crossroads of West Tex- region are ashe juniper and Several tributaries of the
as, Central Texas, and South Texas live oak. Colorado River of Texas
Texas. Given its geographical — including the Llano and
location, terrain features, Bound on the east by the Pedernales rivers, which
and native vegetation, the Balcones Escarpment, the cross the region west to east
Hill Country could be con- Hill Country reaches into and join the Colorado as it
the far northern portions of
cuts across the region to the
sidered the beginning or
end of the American South- San Antonio and the west- southeast – drain a large
west (depending on which ern portions of Austin. As a portion of the Hill Country.
direction one is traveling). result of springs discharging The Guadalupe, San Antonio,
The region is notable for its water stored in the Edwards Frio, Medina, and Nueces
karst topography and tall Aquifer, several cities such rivers originate in the Hill
rugged hills of limestone as Austin, San Marcos, and Country.
or granite. Many of the hills New Braunfels were settled This region is a dividing line
rise to a height of 400-500 at the base of the Balcones for certain species occur-
feet above the surround- Escarpment. The region’s rence. For example, the
ing plains and valleys, with economy is one of the fast- California Fan Palm (Wash-
Packsaddle Mountain rising est growing in the United ingtonia filifera) is the only
to a height of 800 feet above States. species of palm tree that
the Llano River in Kingsland. Because of its karst topog- is native to the continental
The Hill Country also in- raphy, the area also features United States west of the Hill
cludes the Llano Uplift and a number of caverns, such as Country’s Balcones Fault.
the second-largest granite Inner Space Caverns, Natu-
dome in the United States, ral Bridge Caverns, Brack- The region has hot summers,
Enchanted Rock. The terrain en Cave, Longhorn Cavern particularly in July and Au-
throughout the region is State Park, Cascade Caverns, gust, and even the nighttime
punctuated by a thin layer of Caverns of Sonora and Cave temperatures remain high,
topsoil and a large number Without a Name. The deep- as the elevation is modest
of exposed rocks and boul- er caverns of the area form despite the hilly terrain.
ders, making the region very several aquifers which serve Winter temperatures are
dry and prone to flash flood- as a source of drinking water sometimes as much as ten
ing. Native vegetation in for the residents of the area. degrees cooler than in other
the region includes various Wonder Cave in San Marcos parts of Texas to the east.
yucca, prickly pear cactus, was formed by an earth-
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