Springs of Texas, Volume 1

Gunnar M. Brune

Texas A&M University Press, 2002 - Nature - 566 pages

This text explores the natural history of Texas and more than 2900 springs in 183 Texas counties. It also includes an in-depth discussion of the general characteristics of springs - their physical and prehistoric settings, their historical significance, and their associated flora and fauna.

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User Review -

Gunnar Brune's SPRINGS OF TEXAS Volume 1 is a landmark reference for Texas hydrology, history, & natural resources. The masterful presentation of roughly half the Lone Star State's springs & aquifers is a must for any serious study and should be in every public library. This book includes several maps with details such as historical & geological data that go with the clearly written information presented county-by-county. Flow rates over time, evidence of early native American usage, precise locations, and other important facts make this a work of singular importance. It is most unfortunate that Brune died before completion of the second volume; this book is a legacy of monumental value to Texas. 

Contents

• METHOD OF STUDY: 1
• MEASUREMENT OF SPRING DISCHARGE: 2
• EVIDENCE OF FORMER SPRINGS: 3
• NUMBERING AND NAMING SPRINGS: 6
• CHARACTERISTICS OF SPRINGS: 9
• SIZE OF SPRINGS: 10
• SOME FEATURES OF SPRINGS: 11
• PHYSICAL SETTING OF SPRINGS: 13
• GEOLOGY OF SPRINGS: 14
• QUALITY OF SPRING WATERS: 19
• CONTAMINATION: 21
• CHEMICAL ANALYSES OF SPRING WATER: 22
• PREHISTORIC SETTING OF SPRINGS: 23
• PREHISTORIC USES OF WATER: 24
• FLORA AND FAUNA OF TEXAS SPRINGS: 27
• VANISHING SPECIES: 28
• HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF SPRINGS: 31
• SPRING DEVELOPMENT: 32
• THE DECLINE OF TEXAS SPRINGS: 35
• EFFECTS OF THE WATERTABLE DECLINE: 37
• EXAMPLES: 38
• TEXAS WATER LAW AS RELATED TO SPRINGS: 41
• THE POPULATION EXPLOSION: 43
• DESTRUCTION OF THE EARTH: 44
• THE POPULATION BOMB: 45
• DISCUSSION OF INDIVIDUAL COUNTIES: 47
• ARANSAS COUNTY: 49
• ARCHER COUNTY: 50
• ARMSTRONG COUNTY: 52
• AUSTIN COUNTY: 55
• BAILEY COUNTY: 57
• BASTROP COUNTY: 59
• BAYLOR COUNTY: 61
• BEE COUNTY: 63
• BELL COUNTY: 65
• BEXAR COUNTY: 69
• BLANCO COUNTY: 76
• BORDEN COUNTY: 79
• BOWIE COUNTY: 81
• BRAZORIA COUNTY: 83
• BREWSTER COUNTY: 84
• The Marathon Area: 88
• Western and Northern Brewster Count: 92
• BRISCOE COUNTY: 95
• BROOKS COUNTY: 98
• BURNET COUNTY: 100
• CALDWELL COUNTY: 102
• CALHOUN COUNTY: 104
• CAMERON COUNTY: 105
• CAMP COUNTY: 106
• CARSON COUNTY: 107
• CASS COUNTY: 109
• CASTRO COUNTY: 111
• CHAMBERS COUNTY: 112
• CHEROKEE COUNTY: 113
• CHILDRESS COUNTY: 116
• CLAY COUNTY: 118
• COCHRAN COUNTY: 121
• COLLIN COUNTY: 122
• COLLINGSWORTH COUNTY: 124
• COLORADO COUNTY: 126
• COMAL COUNTY: 129
• COOKE COUNTY: 133
• COTTLE COUNTY: 135
• CRANE COUNTY: 137
• CROCKETT COUNTY: 139
• CROSBY COUNTY: 142
• CULBERSON COUNTY: 144
• Guadalupe Mountains: 145
• Rustler Hills: 148
• Apache Van Horn and Diablo Mountains: 149
• DALLAM COUNTY: 150
• DALLAS COUNTY: 152
• DAWSON COUNTY: 155
• DEAF SMITH COUNTY: 156
• DELTA COUNTY: 158
• DENTON COUNTY: 159
• DICKENS COUNTY: 161
• DIMMIT COUNTY: 165
• DONLEY COUNTY: 167
• DUVAL COUNTY: 170
• ECTOR COUNTY: 172
• EDWARDS COUNTY: 173
• EL PASO COUNTY: 178
• FANNIN COUNTY: 179
• FAYETTE COUNTY: 181
• FLOYD COUNTY: 183
• FOARD COUNTY: 184
• FORT BEND COUNTY: 186
• FRANKLIN COUNTY: 188
• GAINES COUNTY: 189
• GALVESTON COUNTY: 191
• GARZA COUNTY: 193
• GRAY COUNTY: 195
• GRAYSON COUNTY: 198
• GREGG COUNTY: 201
• HALE COUNTY: 202
• HALL COUNTY: 204
• HANSFORD COUNTY: 206
• HARDEMAN COUNTY: 208
• HARDIN COUNTY: 209
• HARRIS COUNTY: 211
• HARRISON COUNTY: 214
• HARTLEY COUNTY: 217
• HASKELL COUNTY: 218
• HAYS COUNTY: 220
• HEMPHILL COUNTY: 225
• HIDALGO COUNTY: 228
• HOCKLEY COUNTY: 229
• HOOD COUNTY: 231
• HOPKINS COUNTY: 232
• HOWARD COUNTY: 235
• HUDSPETH COUNTY: 238
• HUNT COUNTY: 244
• HUTCHINSON COUNTY: 245
• JACK COUNTY: 249
• JACKSON COUNTY: 252
• JASPER COUNTY: 254
• JEFF DAVIS COUNTY: 256
• JEFFERSON COUNTY: 263
• JIM HOGG COUNTY: 264
• JIM WELLS COUNTY: 265
• KAUFMAN COUNTY: 267
• KENEDY COUNTY: 268
• KENT COUNTY: 269
• KING COUNTY: 271
• KINNEY COUNTY: 274
• KLEBERG COUNTY: 277
• KNOX COUNTY: 279
• LAMAR COUNTY: 282
• LAMB COUNTY: 283
• LAMPASAS COUNTY: 286
• LA SALLE COUNTY: 288
• LEE COUNTY: 290
• LIBERTY COUNTY: 292
• LIPSCOMB COUNTY: 293
• LIVE OAK COUNTY: 295
• LOVING COUNTY: 297
• LUBBOCK COUNTY: 298
• LYNN COUNTY: 300
• MARION COUNTY: 301
• MARTIN COUNTY: 302
• MATAGORDA COUNTY: 305
• MAVERICK COUNTY: 306
• MCMULLEN COUNTY: 307
• MIDLAND COUNTY: 309
• MILAM COUNTY: 311
• MONTAGUE COUNTY: 313
• MONTGOMERY COUNTY: 315
• MOORECOUNTY: 317
• MORRIS COUNTY: 335
• MOTLEY COUNTY: 336
• NACOGDOCHES COUNTY: 339
• NEWTON COUNTY: 342
• NUECES COUNTY: 344
• OCHILTREE COUNTY: 345
• OLDHAM COUNTY: 346
• ORANGE COUNTY: 350
• PANOLA COUNTY: 351
• PARKER COUNTY: 352
• PARMER COUNTY: 355
• PECOS COUNTY: 356
• POLK COUNTY: 363
• POTTER COUNTY: 365
• PRESIDIO COUNTY: 368
• RAINS COUNTY: 376
• RANDALL COUNTY: 377
• RED RIVER COUNTY: 380
• REEVES COUNTY: 382
• REFUGIO COUNTY: 386
• ROCKWALL COUNTY: 390
• SABINE COUNTY: 394
• SAN AUGUSTINE COUNTY: 395
• SAN JACINTO COUNTY: 398
• SAN PATRICIO COUNTY: 400
• SCURRY COUNTY: 401
• SHELBY COUNTY: 403
• SHERMAN COUNTY: 404
• SMITH COUNTY: 405
• STARR COUNTY: 409
• STONEWALL COUNTY: 411
• SUTTON COUNTY: 414
• SWISHER COUNTY: 416
• TARRANT COUNTY: 418
• TERRELL COUNTY: 422
• TERRY COUNTY: 426
• TITUS COUNTY: 428
• TRAVIS COUNTY: 430
• TYLER COUNTY: 436
• UPSHUR COUNTY: 439
• UPTON COUNTY: 442
• UVALDE COUNTY: 444
• VAL VERDE COUNTY: 449
• VAN ZANDT COUNTY: 456
• VICTORIA COUNTY: 459
• WALLER COUNTY: 461
• WARD COUNTY: 462
• WEBB COUNTY: 463
• WHARTON COUNTY: 466
• WHEELER COUNTY: 467
• WICHITA COUNTY: 469
• WILBARGER COUNTY: 471
• WILLACY COUNTY: 472
• WILLIAMSON COUNTY: 473
• WINKLER COUNTY: 476
• WISE COUNTY: 477
• WOOD COUNTY: 479
• YOAKUM COUNTY: 482
• YOUNG COUNTY: 483
• ZAPATA COUNTY: 487
• ZAVALA COUNTY: 488
• GLOSSARY OF TERMS: 491
• SELECTED REFERENCES: 495
• SELECTED CHEMICAL ANALYSES OF SPRING WATERS: 501
• INDEX: 531

Popular passages

Page xvii - Their council-fire has long since gone out on the shore, and their war-cry is fast dying to the untrodden west. Slowly and sadly they climb the distant mountains, and read their doom in the setting sun. They are shrinking before the mighty tide which is pressing them away; they must soon hear the roar of the last wave, which -will settle over them forever.

Page 20 - In combination with calcium and magnesium cause carbonate hardness. Sulfate in water containing calcium forms hard scale in steam boilers. In large amounts, sulfate in combination with other ions gives bitter taste to water. Some calcium sulfate is considered beneficial in the brewing process.

Page xvii - They are shrinking before the mighty tide which is pressing them away; they must soon hear the roar of the last wave, which will settle over them forever. Ages hence, the inquisitive white man, as he stands by some growing city, will ponder on the structure of their disturbed remains, and wonder to what manner of person they belonged. They will live only in the songs and chronicles of their exterminators. Let these be faithful to their rude virtues as men, and pay due tribute to their unhappy fate...

Page viii - endangered species" means any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range...

Page 20 - Waters of high nitrate content have been reported to be the cause of methemoglobinemia (an often fatal disease in infants) and therefore should not be used in infant feeding.

About the author

The late GUNNAR BRUNE was a geologist who worked for the U.S. Soil Conservation Service and the Texas Water Development Board. HELEN C. BESSE is president of Capital Environmental Services and of the Ecological Recovery Foundation in Austin.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Springs of Texas, Volume 1; Manufacturing engineering modular series; Springs of Texas, Gunnar M. Brune; Issue 5 of Texas A & M University agriculture series, Texas A and M University (College Station, Tex.)
• Author: Gunnar M. Brune
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Texas A&M University Press, 2002
• ISBN: 1585441961, 9781585441969
• Length: 566 pages
• Subjects: Nature / Natural Resources