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

springs in Texas. While the spring flow varies year to year, the daily average flow from
the Comal Springs is 184 million gallons and per minute minimum flow of 112,500
gallons and a maximum of 157,000 gallons. 15 These water sources pulled other groups of
people to settle the area long before the arrival of the Germans and Southern Anglos.
Archeological evidence shows human habitation in both areas dating back to 9,200 years
ago. 16
These two communities are found in the Cwd 17 climate type of a modified
Köppen climate classification. 18 (See Figure 1.3) 19 New Braunfels and San Marcos
occupy a mesothermal region where the majority of time the years are humid and
experience a mean annual temperature of 73.2 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter is the dry
season though seasonal variability is not all that great. Within this zone there are also
occasional years where desert-like conditions are experienced. The reason for this is that
the two communities exist not far from the 100 th meridian, the traditional dividing line
between the humid, wetter climate of the eastern half of the United States from the dry
climate of the western half of the country. 20 The proximity to this transition zone
accounts
15 U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Soil Survey, 3.
16 Hugh Williamson, “San Marcos, River Town.” Texas Parade, Vol. 12, No. 7 (December 1951), 15-19;
and “San Marcos, Texas (Hays County), “ n.d., n.p., Vertical files, Center for American History, The
University of Texas at Austin.
17 The Köppen classification of “C” represents mesothermal climate zones. A mesothermal climate is one
where coolest-month temperatures average between 32 and 64.4 degrees Fahrenheit. The lower case “w”
represents a dry winter season and the “d” indicates occasional dry years. For a more detailed discussion of
the Köppen system as applied to Texas see Richard Joel Russell’s article “Climates of Texas,” Annals of
the Association of American Geographers 35 (June 1945), 37-52.
18 The modified Köppen system referred to here is found in the article “Climates of Texas.” The
modifications were made by Russell, the author of the article.
19 Terry Jordan, Texas: A Geography, 25.
20 Ibid., 44-47.
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