The Natural Environment
To be at an edge where any two bioregions meet is fortunate, because
life is abundant and diverse where systems meet. San Antonio is an extraordinarily
rich region at the edges of four of Texas’ ten Ecological Areas: The Edwards
Plateau (Hill Country), The Blackland Prairie, The Post Oak Savannah, and
the South Texas Plains. As you drive around Bexar County you can go from
about 600 ft to about 1200 ft above sea level and see characteristics of
all four ecological areas.
Landform:
- At the intersection of Loop 1604 and NW Military Highway, you are on
the edge of the Hill Country. Elevations at the epicenter of the NORTH
EDC SITE range from 950 to 1166 feet. Rolling hills characterise the area,with
some steep bluffs at the edges of creekbeds, and some relatively level
lower areas. The upland soils are classified as TaB and TaC: Tarrant association,
gently undulating and rolling. The lower areas are classified Cb: Crawford
and Bexar stony soils.
The Redland Worth limestone quarry is a major intervention into
this pattern. To the northwest of the site, .?? square miles of rolling
hills have been excavated and shipped to construction projects all over
south Texas. The edges of the quarry are vertical cliffs and the lowest
elevations will be some ??’ below Leon Creek. A possible relocation plan
for another quarry now situated in a more built-up neighborhood could level
a second hilltop at the north edge of the site.
Water and Waterways:
- The Edwards Aquifer is well-known in the region and has some national
noteriety as one of the largest aquifers in the U.S. and as the sole source
of municipal water for Bexar County. The recharge zone for the aquifer
stretches west and northeast of Bexar County, across four other counties.
About 12% of the recharge zone is within Bexar County, and about 1.6% is
within the City of San Antonio. The recharge zone is about 4 miles wide
at the NORTH SITE, with Loop 1604 right in the middle. The aquifer recharges
through porous limestone and is very sensitive to pollution. The major
recharge features associated with the NORTH SITE are general surface infiltration
and certain buggy rock areas of the creek bottoms.
The land around the highway intersection drains to Olmos Creek, the
major watercourse of the Upper San Antonio River Watershed. Upper branches
of the Olmos reach just north of Loop 1604. To the east, the Salado Creek
watershed begins; to the west, the Leon Creek Watershed passes through
the Redland Worth Quarry. The Salado and the Leon are two of the longest
watercourses in Bexar County, arising near the site, and flowing into the
San Antonio River near south Loop 1604. Olmos, Leon, and Salado creeks
are all intermittent in their upper reaches, usually dry, flooding during
heavy rains.
There is one existing, constant tank, an earthen dam and reservoir,
just to the southwest of the highway intersection. Current drainage studies
for the City of San Antonio propose a new detention pond about a mile downstream
of this tank on the Olmos Creek.
Climate:
- Bexar County climate can be characterised as a modified sub-tropical
climate at the edge of the Gulf Coastal Plain. Winters are mild with predominately
northerly winds. Summers are hot-humid with coastal breezes from the southeast
or dry hot winds from the southwest. Average annual rainfall is 27 to 28
inches falling mostly from April through September. May and September tend
to have the highest rainfall in this period, averaging around 3.5 inches.
Flora:
- (Rufus)
Fauna:
- (Rufus)
The Built Environment
- Land Use: The epicenter of the site, a one mile
radius from the intersection of Loop 1604 and NW Military Highway, is dominated
by agricultural land. To the south, the incorporated city of Shavano Park
is predominately single family residential, mostly on septic systems. There
are some municipal service buildings, and almost no commercial uses in
Shavano Park. To the north, the open land has been used for ranching, and
is typical of vast areas of the hill country in that it is overgrazed,
with very thin soil, and a near monoculture of juniper. To the east, there
is dedicated open space - a conservation easement along the flood plain
of the Salado Creek. To the west, the ranch land gives way to the Redland
Worth quarry; Shavano Park is bordered by undeveloped land along the Olmos
Creek.
Continuing out from the epicenter, the north is dominated by
the Leon Springs Military Reservation. To the east, more agricultural land.
To the south and southwest, more of Shavano Park and in the area between
NW Military and I-10, numerous isolated subdivisions recently established
and under construction.
Commercial development concentrates along major thoroughfares,
and is most intense along I-10 between Huebner Road and DeZavala Road.
There is little commercial development along 1604 within 4 miles of the
SW Military intersection.
Transportation: Transportation is dominated
by private automobiles, evident in the persistent identification of the
site by describing the intersection of Loop 1604 and NW Military Highway.
Loop 1604 is a four-lane expressway. NW Military Highway is a two-lane
type a primary arterial road without curbs. Interstate 10, a few miles
to the west of the intersection, becomes one of the most congested expressways
in the county as it nears the inner Loop 410. DeZavala Road and Huebner
Road are major east-west arterials to the south. The major thoroughfare
plan for San Antonio calls for a future east-west arterial to the north
of the site, possibly along the south edge of the quarry, continuing along
an existing power transmission easement.
- Bus service - pending interview
- The Southern Pacific railroad line parallels I-10, serves the quarry
and nearby building material companies. This right-of-way could have a
future as a light rail commuter line connecting downtown San Antonio with
the Fiesta Texas Theme Park and residential areas further north.
- The San Antonio International Airport to the south is served by
a civil aviation approach corridor that passes over the site.
- Public Works: Current drainage studies call for
a 40 acre stormwater detention feature on the upper Olmos Creek, just west
of Shavano Park. Stormwater management in the rapidly developing residential
subdivisions between Shavano Park and I-10 is characterised by lots that
drain to streets, requiring grass-banked and concreted channels for the
resulting impact. This pattern intensifies and results in a major channel
structure where the Olmos passes under Loop 410.
- The City Public Service electric grid has a major substation on
SW Military about two miles north of the intersection. The 135 ft transmission
line easement runs east from the substation and to the west offsets southwards
around the quarry.
- Water and Sewer - SAWS 20 inch Main planned to serve Rogers Ranch
development. Most other land north of 1604 and within San Antonio City
Limits is designated Outer Service Zone. Sewage Treatment Plant (pending
interview). County areas on septic tanks. Note... potential exchange of
Redland Worth well rights for SAWS re-use water.
- Natural Gas - pending interview
- Regulations: EPA? Federal Regulations applying
to Military Reservations?
- State of Texas - Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
has strict regulations regarding development over the Edwards Aquifer Recharge
Zone. Edwards Underground Water District - regulates use of Edwards Aquifer
water.
- Bexar County -
- City of San Antonio and Extra-territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) - Recharge
Zone Overlay District restrictions on development in force since January,
1995. Numerous Preliminary Overall Development Plans (POADP’s) accepted
before moratorium and passage limit amount of area effected. (Neighborhood
Plans?)
- City of Shavano Park and ETJ - Zoning types include Flood Plain
and Single Family Residential and little else.
- Developmental History: Large holdings and incorporated
municipality dominate.
- Shavano Park established ????, single family residential, incorporated
city.
- Rogers Ranch - 1780 acres, mostly in northeast quadrant of intersection,
partially in northwest. Extensive planning has been executed by Dixie Watkins
for Laddie Denton, Developer. Plan includes impact studies and investigation
of archaeological sites. Development is for predominately single-family
detached residential lots on loop and cul-de-sac streets, some medium and
high density housing, with land set aside for conservation easement, flood
plain, endangered species habitat, possible school site and some community
service, mixed use and neighborhood service commercial sites. The 1066
ft peak to the west of Salado Creek is a reserve tract out of this area
being considered for development as a quarry. Excavation would be limited
to elevation (1040 ft?).
- Redland Worth Quarry - ???? acres. Since 19??. Fifty to seventy-five
year reserve.
- "Mall Site" - about 100 acres in the northeast corner
of the intersection owned by Simon Development.
- Eisenhauer Park donated to City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation
by Camp Bullis, 19??.
The Human Environment
- Demography: - pending interview, Landata demonstration
- populations, ethnicity, religions, incomes, employment, distance to jobs...
Cultures: pending review - American Suburban,
isolated subdivisions, gated "communities"; middle to upper middle
class; affluent subdivisions nearby (Dominion); country clubs and golf
nearby; military; rural pockets; bbq and country dance halls nearby...
Neighborhoods: City of Shavano Park.
- Isolated Residential Subdivisions around Shavano Park: Inwood Subdivision
to the east across the Salado Creek; Churchill Estates east of Shavano
Park and south of Huebner Road; Oak Meadows and Hunters Creek south of
Shavano Park and Huebner Road.
- Isolated Residential Subdivisions around DeZavala Road and Southern
Pacific RR: DeZavala Estates, Neely-Vance Jackson, Shavano Heights, Shavano
Ridge, University Oaks, Woods of Shavano.
- Neighborhood Associations: North of Huebner there are only two registered.
In the Upper San Antonio River Watershed, the Woods of Shavano Community
Association includes most of the area between Shavano Park and I-10 commercial
development and runs from DeZavala Road to 1604. Near the intersection
of Huebner Road and 1604, in the Upper Salado Creek Watershed, the University
Hills Homeowners Association is registered. Just south of Huebner, in the
Upper S A River Watershed, Hunters Creek Neighborhood Association is bordered
by the Olmos Creek.
- The Northside Neighborhoods for Organized Development (NNOD) represents
many residents of the area.
- Commercial Subdivisions near 1604 and Southern Pacific RR: Capital
Port, Tradesman Industrial Subdivision, University Oaks Business Park.
- Church Property: Shavano Baptist Church, University United Methodist
Church, Oak Meadow United Methodist.
- School Property: Oak Meadow Elementary, DeZavala Road Northside
High School.
- Economy: Major commercial development along I-10
to the west. Commercial development intensifies eastwards along 1604 as
you get closer to the intersection with 281. There is no commercial zoning
in the City of Shavano Park. The City of Leon Springs to the north on I-10
has increased commercial intensity based on growing subdivisions in that
area.
- Major Employers nearby: The University of Texas at San Antonio,
Camp Bullis, Fiesta Texas Theme Park, Redland Worth Quarry, Fisher Millwork,
Lumber and Building Materials...
- History: Native and Colonial inhabitants, archaeology - pending
interview
- Historic Flora and Fauna - (Rufus)
- Recent History of Settlement - The USDA Bexar County Soil Survey
published in 1965 uses aerial photography from 1959. Thirtyfive years ago,
I-10 at 1604 was still US 87 to Fredericksburgh. It became I-10 at Huebner
Road. Loop 1604 was Farm to Market Road 1604. The Southern Pacific RR track
had spurs into the Beckmann Quarry on both sides of US 87, the future Fiesta
Texas on the west, the future Redland Worth Quarry on the east. Northwest
Military Highway was called the Harry Wurzbach Highway. Shavano Park roads
were laid out only on the east side of HWH. The stock tank near the intersection
of HWH and FM 1604 existed. The next communities to the east were at US
281 - Hollywood Park, Hill Country Village, Kentwood Manor and Shady Oaks.
To the west, beyond I-10, Lockhill and Oakland Estates. To the south, Castle
Hills was developing.