Hill Country rivers and springs

Centuriesold baldcypress trees line rivers and streams in the Hill Country.

The rivers of the Hill Country, lined with giant baldcypress trees and sycamores and sliding over gentle rapids and deep holes, are among the states most popular scenic resources. Millions of recreational users spend their summers on the Frio, Guadalupe, Medina, Nueces, Llano, Blanco, Pedernales, and other rivers.

The relatively constant flow of many Hill Country rivers is fed by springs which drain the vast underground aquifers formed in the limestone of the Edwards Plateau. Surface water drains into limestone formations and flows out where cracks and fissures are exposed by the erosion of river valleys. Much of the flow in the Frio and Nueces rivers, in turn, sinks back into the Edwards Aquifer, which supplies water to San Antonio wells and emerges in the springs that form the Comal and San Marcos rivers.

This complex hydrological system is threatened by changes in land use and overpumping of aquifers. Several large springs, including San Antonio Springs, have already dried up as the water level in subsurface aquifers has dropped. The rapidly increasing population of central Texas will place accelerating demands on groundwater resources. Adding to the problem is ever more clearing of rural ranch land for new residential subdivisions, which already line stretches of the Guadalupe, Frio, Blanco, and other rivers and creeks. Only a few state parks and natural areas in the Hill Country preserve riparian corridors.

As the Hill Country is increasingly loved to death, one of the most important priorities of conservationists should be to protect the rivers and watersheds which are not only important for recreation and quality of life, but also crucial for wildlife, water quality, and the longterm sustainability of the region.

Hill Country rivers such as the Frio and Guadalupe are popular for swimming, fishing, canoeing and other uses. Limestone springs, seeps,and waterfalls are common along rivers of central Texas. The Devils River flows through remote ranch land in the western Edwards Plateau and is habitat for threatened fish species.

Places to see Hill Country rivers and springs: Protected acreage of Riparian Areas in the Edwards Plateau: Guadalupe State Park and Honey State Natural Area, Bulverde 2,000 acres Garner Sate Park, Concan   Pedernales Falls State Park, Johnson City   Hamilton Pool Preserve, Austin   Devils River State Natural Area, Del Rio