The old slogan for Pearl Beer claimed Central Texas is the ‘Land of 1,100 Springs’. That number is probably a gross underestimate. Central Texas is simply swimming in natural springs and rivers. Add to that the abundance of man-made pools, water parks, and old-fashioned swimming holes, and the opportunities for getting wet are staggering. People caught on to this notion a long, long time ago. Numerous arrowheads and Native American artifacts have been found around our springs, evidence that Indian tribes used them for centuries as a natural form of air conditioning. Although modern urbanization and pollution have reduced the number of flowing springs, the Pearl Beer slogan is, at least, still accurate.
The first humans to live in what is now known as Travis County probably came here at the end of the Ice Age eleven thousand years ago. Archeological sites in the area have turned up evidence and relics of human presence since prehistoric times. People have continued to live in this area since that time because of the abundance of water. Tonkawa, Comanche, Apache, and Jumano Indians resided in this area or migrated through it, and Spanish explorers and missionaries later encountered these tribes when they settled the area in the 1700s. Between 1680 and 1800 the Colorado River was their lifeline. Missions and forts were established along the banks, including one at Barton Springs in Austin.
Anglos did not settle here until Texas became independent from Mexico in 1837. The areas now known as Austin and Bastrop supported some of the first settlements along the Colorado River. Jake Harrell, a friend of Texas Vice-President Mirabeau B. Lamar, founded a camp on the Colorado River about where the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin is now located and named it Waterloo. Lamar was out buffalo hunting one day when he came across the Waterloo camp. An officer of the Republic of Texas had earlier described it to Lamar as “The most beautiful and at the same time the most sublime scene I ever saw... The atmosphere was charged with the most delightful perfume and every shrub and every hill and every flower seemed to extend a welcome to the weary traveler.” Lamar must have agreed because he deemed it worthy as the site of the new Texas capital. Lamar and Sam Houston battled each other over which camp would host the new Republic’s government, but in 1839 Austin was officially chosen. It was named after Stephen F. Austin, a prominent farmer who had settled here with his family. The area now known as Montopolis was also considered as the future capital site, as was Bastrop, then known as Mina (say ‘Mee-nah’). Travis County and the City of Austin were both incorporated in 1839. The capital was officially moved from Houston in 1840 and the first permanent building in Austin was erected. Edwin Waller, for whom Waller Creek is named, surveyed the area near Waterloo and sold 320 lots, dividing up the forty thousand square-miles that originally made up Travis County. In 1842 the capital temporarily moved back to Houston when the Mexican Army captured San Antonio. In 1845 the government relocated permanently back to Austin and the capitol building was completed in 1850. It was then destroyed in 1860 by fire, and the present building was completed in 1888. The Colorado River played an integral part in the building of the capitol and the city of Austin. Building materials and workmen were transported on the water by boat, limestone was excavated out of the riverbed, and the flow of the water powered early mills and tools.
Central Texas is at the convergence point of several distinct geological features, making it a unique place in the world. The Edwards Plateau to the west is characterized by limestone caves, deep aquifers and granite beds, which house many varieties of animals, some endangered or rare. The Edwards Plateau is covered by the western Hill Country and the Highland Lakes. Plant and animal life are abundant and varied. This area is strewn with hundreds of springs, streams, creeks and natural pools. The Balcones Fault bisects Austin with a 600-foot uplift, and is the source of many springs, one of the largest being the San Marcos River. The Blackland Prairies lie to the east of the fault with abundant wildflowers and native plants and deep, rich soil. The Colorado River weaves through it all. In the northernmost part of Travis County the Crosstimbers region of rolling, woody Savannah just grazes the boundary. Post oaks and blackjack oak can be found there. Since the Colorado River was dammed in the 1940s, residents in this area have been enjoying a plenitude of recreational opportunities.
The Edwards Aquifer formed as the result of a shallow sea that covered Texas during the Cretaceous period, about 100 million years ago. Austin was part of a reef system littered with seashell creatures. Over the years, beds of limestone formed from the shells of these animals, and water has dissolved tiny holes throughout that act like a porous filter. Earthquakes then ripped open sections of the limestone along fault lines allowing the water to rise as springs. About 300,000 acre-feet of water are stored in this underground maze. The Aquifer curves from Bell to Kinney County and provides drinking water to Austin, San Antonio, Salado, Georgetown, and Round Rock. It is recharged from six creeks: Barton, Williamson, Slaughter, Bear, Little Bear and Onion.
Well discharge of the Edwards Aquifer increased substantially from the late 1800s as it was used extensively for public water supply and agriculture. A continuous increase in well discharge has had an effect on natural spring discharge, and San Pedro, San Antonio and Comal Springs have become intermittent instead of flowing. Water conservation plans are now de rigueur and the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission monitors the flow of springs to make sure they are not jeopardized.
The climate in Central Texas is ideal for water-oriented recreation. With mild winters and just a few days below freezing, and summer temperatures soaring in excess of 100 degrees, water sports are enjoyed year-round. Average rainfall is thirty-two inches per year.