Hill Country roads and photographs

Size:

Edwards Plateau: 31,000 sq mi

Llano Uplift: 5,000

Av. Rainfall: 15-34 in./yr

Characteristics:

The Edwards Plateau region comprises an area of central Texas commonly known as the Texas Hill Country. It is a land of many springs, stony hills, and steep canyons. The region is home to a whole host of rare plants and animals found nowhere else on earth.

Average annual rainfall ranges from 15 to 34 inches, Rainfall is highest in May or June and September. Soils of the Edwards Plateau is honeycombed with thousands of caves. Beneath the eastern edge of the Plateau lies a hidden world of underground lakes known as the Edwards Aquifer. This precious water resource also is home to a number of curious creatures, such as the blind salamander.

Today, the Edwards Plateau is characterized by grasslands and savannahs were more common in pre-settlement times than they are today. Ranching is the primary agricultural industry in the region.

The Llano Uplift is also known as the central mineral region. Although surrounded by the Edwards Plateau region, the Llano Uplift is distinguished by its unique geology. Home to some of the oldest rocks in Texas, the central mineral region contains unique minerals and rock formations. the region is characterized by large granite domes, such as Enchanted Rock near Fredericksburg.

Rainfall averages about 24-32 inches per year, peaking in May or June and September. The landscape is rolling to hilly and elevation range from 825 to 2,250 feet above sea level. Soils are predominantly coarse textured sands, produced from weathered granite over thousands of years.

Native vegetation consists of oak-hickory or oak-juniper woodlands, mesquite-mixed brush savannah, and grasslands. Open grassland and savannah were once more common than they are today. Ranching is the predominant agricultural industry.

Big Lake-19.21 in / 2,678 ft

Blanco-22.05 in / 1,350 ft

Boerne-14.93 in / 1,450 ft

Brackettville-23.55 in / 1,110 ft

Brady-26.11 in / 1,670 ft

Camp Wood-21.63 in / 1,450 ft

Del Rio-18.24 in / 948 ft

Fredericksburg-29.99 in / 1,743 ft

Sonora-17.22 in / 2,120 ft

San Saba-26.28 in / 1,210 ft

Vanderpool-27.32 in / 1,610 ft

Switchgrass
Bluestem grass
Grama grass
Indiangrass
Wildry
Curly mesquite
Buffalograss
Live oak
Shinnery oak
Juniper
Mesquite

Rare Plants and Habitat
Texas snowbells:
Limestone edges or cliff faces along perennial streams

Texas wild-rice:
San Marcos River; clear, constant temperature, spring-fed water

Tobusch fishhook cactus:
Ashe juniper/oak rangelands on rocky alkaline soils

Rock quillwort:
Wet weather pools on granite outcrops

Basin bellflower:
Gravelly or sandy soils

White-tailed deer
Rio Grande turkey
Raccoon
Javelina
Brazilian freetail bat
Ringtail
Nine-banded armadillo
Tarantula
Golden cheeked warbler
Black-capped vireo
Northern mockingbird
Guadalupe bass

Rare Animals and Habitat
Black-capped vireo:
Semi-open rangelands with a diversity of low growing shrubs

Golden-cheeked warbler:
Mature woodlands of oaks and ashe juniper

Edwards Aquifer Species
San Marcos salamander,
Texas Blind salamander,
San Marcos gambusia (fish),
Fountain darter (fish):
Spring fed waters of the San Marcos and Comal rivers in Central Texas