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Barton Creek / Ed Crowell ; photographs by Alberto Martinez ; foreword by Andrew Sansom.
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Crowell, Ed, 1948- author.
- Series:
- River books (Series)
- River Books
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Springs--Texas--Texas Hill Country--Environmental conditions.
- Springs.
- Spring ecology--Texas--Texas Hill Country.
- Spring ecology.
- Environmental protection--Texas--Austin--Citizen participation.
- Environmental protection.
- Water conservation--Texas--Austin.
- Water conservation.
- Barton Creek (Hayes County and Travis County, Tex.)--Environmental conditions.
- Barton Creek (Hayes County and Travis County, Tex.).
- Physical Description:
- 1 online resource (142 pages).
- Edition:
- First edition.
- Place of Publication:
- College Station : Texas A&M University Press, [2019]
- Summary:
- While Barton Springs Pool is an iconic landmark of Austin and many people are familiar with the end of Barton Creek and its seven miles of public greenbelt, less is known about the forty-odd miles beyond that tumble and twist across private lands, eventually feeding the Colorado River. Legendary fights saved Barton Springs in the 1980s and 1990s, when the pool repeatedly was closed because of pollutant runoff from streets, nearby construction, and leaking sewer lines. In 1992, a highly publicized campaign resulted in land protections and stricter water standards. But will the creek and its springs become fouled again? That possibility arises upstream where tributaries and other creeks flow across mostly rural acreage, attracting new housing and business developments. Not only would city bathers lose access to the pool, but endangered species of salamanders and birds that depend on the Edwards Aquifer and its unique habitats face an uncertain future. Following the creek from downtown Austin's Barton Springs Pool to its source as a cow-pasture trickle, longtime resident and journalist Ed Crowell explores the creek's contentious political history, its historic and current residents, and the mounting environmental pressures threatening it. Barton Creek highlights the passionate individuals involved in the stream's preservation, from city scientists to local landowners, who want to see the creek running clear and clean for future generations. Striking photography and vivid descriptions will entice readers to fall in love with Barton Creek all over again.
- Contents:
- Foreword / Andrew Sansom
- Acknowledgments / Ed Crowell
- Introduction
- The end: a bustling cityscape where an aquifer's springs fill a historic pool
- Saving salamanders: searching for, counting, and raising two endangered species
- Family lands: the Starks' summer camp and the family legacy of Truman Breed
- Public battles: Barton Springs uprising stokes decades of political and legal fights
- Shield Ranch: six miles and sixty-eight hundred acres of protected water and land
- Wild Greenbelt: pleasures, dangers, and challenges in canyons above Barton Springs
- Hidden neighbors: famed author's retreat and the nature conservancy's preserve
- Vireos and warblers: working to keep thousands of acres of habitat beckoning birds
- Checking for pollutants: watershed checkups amid new pressures from development
- Generations of care: rancher Henry Brooks and the Puryears protect their lands
- Conserving history: reviewing an easement where an 1800s pioneer era ended
- The beginning: Ralph Roy Breed's pasture trickle and a farm for cheesemaking
- Further reading and resources.
- Notes:
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- Description based on print version record.
- ISBN:
- 1-62349-730-2
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