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The Dissertation Committee for Judith L - The University of Texas at ...

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Physical Elements <strong>of</strong> the Study Region<br />

New Braunfels, loc<strong>at</strong>ed in Comal County, and San Marcos in Hays County share many<br />

physical traits. First is their loc<strong>at</strong>ion (see Figure 1.2). 13 <strong>The</strong> two towns lie<br />

approxim<strong>at</strong>ely twenty miles apart from each other in south central <strong>Texas</strong>. This proximity<br />

is the leading factor to explain many similar physical traits. <strong>The</strong>y are both loc<strong>at</strong>ed <strong>at</strong> the<br />

foot <strong>of</strong> the Balcones Escarpment facing out to the Blackland Prairie. <strong>The</strong> escarpment<br />

serves as a stark dividing line between soils and physical appearance.<br />

Rivers and n<strong>at</strong>ural springs provide w<strong>at</strong>er <strong>for</strong> the two communities. <strong>The</strong>re are four<br />

rivers th<strong>at</strong> run through the two counties, the Blanco, San Marcos, Guadalupe, and Comal.<br />

All run in a southeasterly direction towards the Gulf <strong>of</strong> Mexico, but the Guadalupe is the<br />

only one th<strong>at</strong> empties into the Gulf. <strong>The</strong> Blanco drains into the San Marcos, which meets<br />

up with the Guadalupe River near the city <strong>of</strong> Gonzales. <strong>The</strong> Comal connects with the<br />

Guadalupe River in New Braunfels. <strong>The</strong> drainage basin <strong>of</strong> these rivers is the Guadalupe<br />

River Basin area, which also contain the springs eman<strong>at</strong>ing from the Balcones fault zone<br />

th<strong>at</strong> cre<strong>at</strong>ed the Balcones Escarpment. 14 <strong>The</strong> San Marcos River flows through the<br />

community <strong>of</strong> San Marcos. <strong>The</strong> source <strong>of</strong> the San Marcos River is the San Marcos<br />

Springs, the second largest set <strong>of</strong> springs in <strong>Texas</strong>. <strong>The</strong>se springs pump a maximum <strong>of</strong><br />

115,000 gallons per minute and average a flow <strong>of</strong> 107 million gallons a day. <strong>The</strong> Blanco<br />

river which begins in Blanco county, loc<strong>at</strong>ed to the northwest <strong>of</strong> Hays County, runs<br />

12<br />

William D. P<strong>at</strong>tison, “<strong>The</strong> Four Traditions <strong>of</strong> Geography,” Journal <strong>of</strong> Geography (September/October<br />

1990) 202-206.<br />

13<br />

United St<strong>at</strong>es Department <strong>of</strong> Agriculture, Soil Conserv<strong>at</strong>ion Service, In Cooper<strong>at</strong>ion with <strong>Texas</strong><br />

Agricultural Experiment St<strong>at</strong>ion, Soil Survey <strong>of</strong> Comal and Hays Counties <strong>Texas</strong> (June 1984),pg 2, by<br />

Charles D. B<strong>at</strong>te.<br />

9

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