This study is an investigation of land transformations along the Colorado River in
Bastrop County, Texas, and a presentation of planning suggestions to protect and improve
the ecology of the river corridor. The rapid population growth experienced in central
Texas over the last few decades has manifested itself in extensive land use changes. The
Colorado River Valley in Bastrop County has experienced this development in some
areas, although, as a whole, it has remained largely agricultural in nature, with more
extensive changes occurring in adjacent Travis, Hays, and Williamson Counties to the
west. As land values increase and the stock of undeveloped land dwindles, developers are
turning their attention east to Bastrop County.
This study primarily utilizes historic aerial maps to identify changes along the
Colorado River corridor in Bastrop County. The choice of the river corridor as the extent
of the study area was made because of the disproportionate importance of this land area for environmental systems services, the myriad contributions that the ecological
community provides to humanity and agriculture.
This study’s primary purpose is to create a baseline documentation of the
corridor’s existing condition and a menu of recommendations to promote intelligent
growth. The study pays special attention to the present and historic extent of the riparian
forest (the forest that brackets the river), as this is the “natural” land use that existed prior
to Anglo settlement. The study identifies specific instances and trends in land use, which,
due to their degree and extent, are having adverse ecological and hydrological impacts.
These include industrial, commercial, and residential development, as well as gravel
mining and large infrastructure projects. / text
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UTEXAS/oai:repositories.lib.utexas.edu:2152/ETD-UT-2011-05-3057 |
| Date | 25 July 2011 |
| Creators | Prince, Benjamin John |
| Source Sets | University of Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
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