Download Environmental Intentory: Turkey pasture, freeman ranch

ENVIRONMENTAL INTENTORY:
TURKEY PASTURE,
FREEMAN RANCH
Rachel Cavin, Andrew Cabana, Cody Cripps,
Patrick McMahan
FIELD METHODS GEO5430
EXCERSIZE THREE
Description of Site:
Relative Location
Legal Address:
2101 Freeman Ranch Road
San Marcos, Texas 78666
Verbal Description and Relative Location: Freeman Ranch is a 4,200 acre ranch 5
miles northwest of San Marcos, Texas. It was donated to Texas State University
in 1981, and the University officially began managing it in 1985. The university
uses it for farm, ranch, and game management, and educational and
experimental purposes. The ranch is split up into several pastures that have
changed over the years. This environmental inventory is particularly focused on
the Turkey Pasture, in the North central part of the ranch. The Turkey Pasture
is 143 acres in size.
Absolute Location
Geographic Grid:
Latitude:
29°55’ N
Longitude:
98°0’ W
UTM:
East:
North:
596,000 meters
3,312,000 meters
UTM Zone:
14
SPCS:
East:
North:
2,300,000 feet
763,000 feet
SPCS Zone:
South Central, Texas Coordinate System
Size of Site
Acres:
143 Acres
Ha:
58 Hectares
Legal State of Site
Country:
State/Province:
United States
Texas
County:
City:
Is the site within the city limits?
Hays
San Marcos
No.
Zoning Status:
No Zoning, outside of city limits.
(City of San Marcos, 2011)
ETJ:
MSA/CMSA etc. name:
San Marcos ETJ
Austin-Round Rock, TX Metropolitan
Statistical Area
(U.S. Department of Labor 2013)
Natural Environment:
Elevation
High: 850 feet
250 meters
Low: 760 feet
230 meters
Relief: 90 feet
20 meters
Hydrology
Surface water on/adjacent to site: Sink Creek
Closest named stream that drains the site: Sink Creek
Downstream Course and Ultimate destination: Sink Creek drains into the San
Marcos river. The San Marcos river drains into the Guadalupe River. The
Guadalupe river drains into Mission Lake, which is part of Guadalupe Bay,
which is connected to the Gulf of Mexico.
Direct Distance:
To Coast: Approximately 150 miles (240 kilometers)
Major river basic (TXWBD basin): 18 Guadalupe River Basin
River Authority: Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority
SB 1 TXWDB Regional Planning Group: Region L, South Central Texas
TCEQ Stream Segment at site: 1814 (TWDB 2012)
Major Water Quality Problems: No wastewater disposal method, sulfates.
(TCEQ 2013)
Groundwater Aquifers beneath site:
Major Aquifer: Trinity and Edwards Aquifers.
Minor Aquifer: None.
Underground Water District: Edwards Aquifer Authority
Groundwater Management Area: Area 10
(TWDB 2012)
Source of water for site: Edwards Aquifer and precipitation.
Waste-water disposal method: None.
Destination of disposed waste-water: N/A
FEMA-FIRM Floodplain Status: Ephemeral stream running through Turkey.
FEMA-FIRM Map Number: 48209C0360F & 48209C0380F
(FEMA 2013)
Geology and Landforms
Mapping Code: Ked
Name of Mapped Unit: Edwards Limestone
Type of Rock: Limestone and Dolomite
(U.T.B.E.G. 1992)
Chronostratigraphic Term:
Eon: Phanerozoic
Era: Mesozoic
Period: Cretaceous
Epoch: Lower Cretaceous
Years BP range: 100-145 mya
(GSA 2012)
Landform Regions:
Province: Great Plains
Section: Edwards Plateau
District: Texas Hill Country
(Feneman 1931)
Geologic Hazards: Flooding, mass wasting, and potential karst problems.
Nearby Mining Activities/Resources: There are numerous gravel pits
throughout Hays County, but not mining takes place on the property.
Closest Major Landform Feature: Balcones Escarpment (Raisz 1957)
Surface Configuration: Hard Limestone and marl. Stair-step topography;
stable slopes; thin clay soils; local seeps and minor springs. (U.T.B.E.G. 1999)
Climate
1.
Mean Annual 1971-2000 Temperature and Precipitation
Name of nearest weather station with long term record: San Marcos, TX US
(U.S. NCDC 2004)
Temperature
Mean
(°F)
49.9
Janurary
53.9
February
61.6
March
68.2
April
75.6
May
81.5
June
84.4
July
84.4
August
79.7
September
70.5
October
59.9
November
52.1
December
68.5
Year
Temperature
(°C)
9.9
12.2
16.4
20.1
24.2
27.5
29.1
29.1
26.5
21.4
15.5
11.2
20.3
Precipitation
Mean
(In)
2.05
Janurary
2.21
February
2.09
March
2.85
April
5.31
May
4.84
June
2.12
July
2.65
August
3.46
September
4.03
October
3.17
November
2.41
December
37.3
Year
Precipitation
(mm)
52
56
53
72
135
123
54
67
88
102
81
61
945
Years of record for climate records: 1971-2000
Record Highest Temp: 111⁰F 43.9⁰C
Date: 8/24/1917 & 9/5/2000
Record Coldest Temp: -2⁰F -18.9⁰C
Date: 1/31/1949
Wettest Year: 52.7 in
Year: 2004
134 mm
between 2001 and 2012.
Driest Year: 15.8 in
40 mm
Year: 2008
between 2001 and 2012.
Average Potential Evapotranspiration:
Thornthwaite_Method:
45.82 in
1163.82 mm
(Malmstrom 1969)
Precip. (in.)
Monthly Temp
PET (in.)
P-PET (in.)
Jan
2.05
49.9
1.91
.14
Feb
2.21
53.9
2.20
.01
Mar
2.09
61.6
2.84
-.75
Apr
2.85
68.2
3.52
-.67
May
5.31
75.6
4.47
.84
Jun
4.84
81.5
5.40
-.56
Jul
2.12
84.4
5.92
-3.8
Aug
2.65
84.4
5.92
-3.27
Sep
3.46
79.7
5.08
-1.62
Oct
4.03
70.5
3.81
.22
Nov
3.17
59.9
2.70
.47
Dec
2.41
52.1
2.05
.36
Year
(Sum) 37.19
(Sum) 68.5
(Sum) 45.82
(Sum) -8.27
Warm Season
(Sum) 25.26
XXXXXXX
(Sum) 34.12
(Sum) -5.44
(Apr-Oct)
Penman Method:
87.6 in
2225 mm
(Dugas and Ainsworth 1983)
100 year, 24 hour storm:
10 in 254 mm
(Hershfield 1961)
Average length of frost-free period
Average Date of Last Frost in Spring: February 28th
Average Date of First Frost in Fall:
November 24th
Average Length of Growing Season 269 days
5. Climate type:
Koppen code: Cfa
Climate Name: Humid Subtropical
Description of Climate: Warm summers with a mild winter, high
humidity.
Texas regional climate: Subtropical Subhumid and Subtropical Humid.
(Larkin and Bomar 1983)
6. Major climate hazards: Tropical storms/hurricanes, drought, floods, lightning,
hail, tornadoes.
Soils
Name of Soils: Rumple-Comfort Association, Undulating
Description of soil: Rumple-Comfort soils are comprised of shallow to moderately
deep soils. The soils are used primarily for rangeland and for wildlife habitat.
Soil Suitability and limitations and problems: Due to large stones located near the
surface, Rumple-Comfort soils are not well suited for cultivating crops. Also, urban
and recreational developments are limited on Rumple-Comfort soils. Corrosive.
Soil taxonomic classification:
Order: Mollisols
Suborder: Ustolls
Great Group: Argiustols
Sub-Group: Udic Argiustolls
Family: Clayey-Skeletal, mixed, themic Udic Argiustolls
Series: Rumple
Variant: 1-8 percent
Name of Soils: Comfort-Rock Complex, Undulating
Description of soil: Comfort-Rock are comprised of shallow clay soils located on
slopes and on hilltops within the Edwards Plateau area. Comfort-Rock soils are
primarily used for range and pastureland, providing a good environment for
wildlife.
Soil Suitability and limitations and problems: Due to the shallowness of the soils,
residential and commercial development is limited. Corrosive.
Soil taxonomic classification:
Order: Mollisols
Suborder: Ustolls
Great Group: Argiustols
Sub-Group: Udic Argiustolls
Family: Clayey-Skeletal, mixed, themic Udic Argiustolls
Series: Comfort
Variant: Convex
(Batte 1984)
Ecosystems
Name of major terrestrial ecosystems:
Live Oak – Ashe Juniper Parks, Live Oak – Mesquite – Ash Juniper
Parks, Live Oak – Ashe Juniper Woods
(McMahan et al. 1984)
Ecoregions of Texas:
Edwards Plateau – Balcones Canyonlands
(Griffith et al. 2004)
Description of Ecosystem:
The Edwards Plateau is a hilly area that is divided by the Balcones Fault
escarpment to the East and South. It stretches into Chihuahuan Desert to
the West and the Great Plains to the North. There are four sub regions
within the Plateau. The central and western portions of the plateau are
marked by large, level uplands moderately broken up by gradual sloping
stream divides. The broken up portion adjacent to the escarpment is
known as the Texas Hill Country. This region is divided by fast-moving
streams through steep canyons. The NE plateau, is characterized by
broad valleys. The last sub region is the Central Mineral Valley or Llano
Uplift. This area has a granitic substrate that differentiates the area from
other surrounding areas.
The Edwards Plateau initially began as a grassy savannah common trees
included mesquite, juniper, and live oaks. Much of these still remain,
however agriculture has modified the landscape drastically. The eastern
portion of the Plateau is mostly woodlands including hardwoods such as
Oak trees and Ashe Juniper.
(Carter et al. 2000)
Other Terrestrial Ecosystems:
Oak-Juniper Savannas, Evergreen Woodlands, Deciduous Forest,
Edwards Aquifer Subterranean.
Aquatic Ecosystems:
Riparian Ephemeral Steam Woodland.
Inventories:
Land Use Inventory
Present Day Land Use
The land is currently used for ranching, education, research, and was formerly used
for hunting.
Future Land Use Values in Demand
Freeman Ranch is worth around $40,000,000, and is in demand for development. A
realtor who sells the property would make over 1,000,000 dollars. The land is in
demand for residential or recreational development, as well as continuing as its
current role as a research and education ranch partially owned by Texas State
University.
Climate Inventory
Current air quality management status, problems and causes:
Ozone Early Action Area, Pollen.
Air quality values in demand:
Clean air, high visibility.
(TCEQ 2013)
CERCLIS Listed Superfund Sites
1. Active Sites:
a. Name and location of closest CERCLIS Active Site of County
San Marcos PCE Plume – San Marcos
b. Pollutant
PCE
c. Status
Cleanup Complete O&M
2. Archived Sites:
a. Name and location of closest CERCLIS Archives Site in County
KERR-BAN FURNITURE MFG CO-SAN MARCOS
b. Pollutant
PBDE
c. Status
Archived
(EPA 2009)
Water Inventory
Water quality and quantity problems: Water contamination because of cattle and
wildlife. Drought and runoff.
Water demand- present use:
Current water use gal/day: 46.7
Current acre feet/year: .00015
Water demand-anticipated beyond present use:
Future gal/day: 17,381.3
Future acre feet/year: .053
Threats to water quality and quantity: Concentrations of cattle and wildlife and lead to
water contamination, lack of waste water disposal methods could pose a threat to water
quality, continued droughts can cause threats to water quantity.
Biological Inventory
Threatened/Endangered species, federal list:
Animals:
Amphibians: Barton Springs Salamander, Blanco Blind
Salamander, Blanco River Springs Salamander, San Marcos
Salamander, Texas Blind Salamander.
Arachnids: Bandit Cave Spider.
Birds: American Peregrine Falcon, Arctic Peregrine Falcon, Bald
Eagle, Black-Capped Vireo, Golden-Cheeked Warbler, Mountain
Plover, Peregrine Falcon, Sprague’s Pipit, Western Burrowing
Owl, Whooping Crane, Zone-Tailed Hawk.
Crustaceans: A Cave Obligate Crustacean, Balcones Cave
Amphipod, Ezell’s Cave Amphipod, Texas Cave Shrimp, Texas
Troglobitic Water Slater.
Fishes: Fountain Darter, Guadalupe Bass, Guadalupe Darter,
Ironcolor Shiner, San Marcos Gumbusia.
Insects: A Mayfly, Comal Springs Dryopid Beetle, Comal Springs
Riffle Beetle, Edwards Aquifer Driving Beetle, Flint’s NetSpinning Caddisfly, Leonora’s Dancer Damselfly, Rawson’s
Metalmark, San Marcos Saddle-Case Caddisfly, Texas
Austrotinodes Caddisfly.
Mammals: Cave Myotis Bat, Plains Spotted Skunk, Red Wolf.
Mollusks: Creeper (Squawfoot), False Spike Mussel, Golden Orb,
Texas Fatmucket, Texas Pimpleback.
Reptiles: Cagle’s Map Turtle, Spot-Tailed Earless Lizard, Texas
Garter Snake, Texas Horned Lizard.
Plants: Bracted Twistflower, Hill Country Wild-Mercury, Texas
Wild-Rice, Warnock’s Coral-Root.
Threatened/Endangered species, state list:
Animals:
Amphibians: Texas Blind Salamander, San Marcos Salamander.
Birds: Whooping Crane, Bald Eagle, Black-Capped Vireo,
Golden-Cheeked Warbler.
Clams: Texas Pimpleback.
Fishes: Fountain Darter.
Insects: Comal Spring Riffle Beetle, Comal Springs Dryopid
Beetle.
Flowering Plants: Bracted Twistflower, Texas Wild-Rice.
(TPWD 2013)
Cultural-Social Inventory
Registered historical/archeological sites within 1 mile of the site:
State List: None
Federal List: Freeman, Harry, Site, #78002953
Cultural-historical-archeological resources on the site: Freeman, Harry, Site, #78002953
Cultural-social values in use: Educational facility for students at Texas State University
Cultural-social values in demand: Recreation
Other Significant aspects of the site: Freeman Ranch is valued at over $40,000,000. The
ranch currently serves as an important resource for Texas State University, functioning as
an educational and experimental site, utilized by the agricultural, anthropology, biology,
and geography departments.
(NRHP 2013)
References
Batte, C.D. 1984. Soil Survey of Comal and Hays Counties Texas. Temple, Tx. U.S. Department
of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service.
Carter, M. F., Hunter, W. C., Pashley, D. N., & Rosenberg, K. V. 2000. Setting conservation
priorities for landbirds in the United States: the Partners in Flight approach. The Auk, 117(2):
541-548.
The City of San Marcos Development Services Department (CSMDSD). 2011. The city of San
Marcos official zoning map. Available from:
http://www.sanmarcostx.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=1223. last accessed
6 October, 2013.
The City of San Marcos - Planning and Development Services Department (CSMPDSD). 2011.
City of San Marcos - Nearby cities and ETJs. Available from http://www.ci.sanmarcos.tx.us/gcsearch.aspx?q=city%2520limits. Last accessed 6 October, 2013.
Dugas, W.A. and C.G. Ainsworth. 1983. Agroclimatic Atlas of Texas, Part 6: Potential
Evapotranspiration, Report MP 1543, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, College
Station.
Fenneman, N. M. 1938. Physiography of the Eastern United States. New York: McGraw-Hill
Book Company, Inc.
Fenneman, N. M. 1931. Physiography of the Western United States. New York: McGraw-Hill
Book Company, Inc.
Griffith, G.E., Bryce, S.A., Omernik, J.M., Comstock, J.A., Rogers, A.C., Harrison, B., Hatch,
S.L., and D. Bezanson. 2004. Ecoregions of Texas. U.S. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency.
Hershfield, D. M. 1961. Rainfall frequency atlas of the united states for durations from 30
minutes to 24 hours and return periods from 1 to 100 years. Weather Bureau Technical Paper
No. 40, U.S. Weather Bureau, Washington D.C.
Larkin, T. J. and G. W. Bomar. 1983. Texas climate atlas. Austin, TX. Texas Department of
Water Resources. LP-192.
Malmstrom, V. H. 1969. A new approach to the classification of climate. Journal of Geography
68:351-357
McMahan, Craig A., Frye, R.G., and K.L. Brown. 1984. The Vegetation Types of Texas.
Raisz, E. 1957. Landforms of the United States, sixth revised edition. Boston: Erwin Raisz.
Rohli, R. V. and A. J. Vega. 2008. Climatology. Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers,
Inc.
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). 2013. Texas State Implementation Plan
(SIP). Available from
http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/assets/public/implementation/air/sip/images/nonatain.gif. Last
accessed 4 October, 2013.
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). 2012. Texas integrated report - Texas
303(d) list (Category 5). Available from
http://www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/waterquality/swqm/assess/12twqi/2012_303d.pdf.
Last accessed 4 October, 2013.
Texas Historical Commission. 2013. Hays County. Available from
http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/shell-county.htm. Last accessed 5 October 2013.
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD). 2013. Annotated County Lists of Rare Species.
Hays County: Texas. Available from
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/gis/ris/es/ES_Reports.aspx?county=Hays. Last accessed 1
October, 2013.
Texas Water Development Board (TWDB). 2012. Texas Water. Available from
http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/mapping/doc/maps/TX_Water_2012.pdf. Last accessed 6
October, 2013.
The University of Texas at Austin (UT). 1992. Geologic Atlas of Texas, Llano Sheet. Austin,
Texas. Bureau of Economic Geology.
The University of Texas at Austin (UT). 1999. Land-Resource Map of Texas. Austin, Texas.
Bureau of Economic Geology.
U.S. Department of Labor. 2013. Austin-San Marcos, TX MSA. Available from
http://www.bls.gov/oes/2003/may/msa_def.htm#0640. Last accessed 7 October, 2013.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 2009. Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Information System. Quality Assurance Project Plan: Document
No.: 19-CERCL-QAPP-0585.
U.S. Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA). 2013. Map service center. Available
from: https://msc.fema.gov/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/QuickOrderResultView. Last accessed
7 October, 2013.
U.S. National Climate Data Center (NCDC). 2013. Annual climatological summary. San
Marcos, Texas: U.S. Department of Commerce: Asheville, North Carolina.
U.S. National Climate Data Center (NCDC). 2004. Climatography of the United States, Number
20, 1971-2000. U.S. Department of Commerce: Asheville, North Carolina.
U.S. National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). 2013. Texas - Hays County. Available from
http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/TX/Hays/state.html. Last accessed 5
October, 2013.
Walker, J. D., Geissman, J. W., Bowring, S. A. and L. E. Babcock. 2012. Geological Time Scale
v. 4.0. Boulder, Colorado. Geological Society of America.