The Lone Star State
As we approach the celebration of Texas Independence from Mexico on March 3, 1836, I am reminded of studying our state from my public-school days. Currently 4th and 7th graders study our Lone Star state. One of the areas of concentration is the physical regions. As a conservationist this break down of our state into four regions helps to identify areas that need to be addressed to keep our land healthy.
The Texas Gulf Coastal Plains region begins of course with the Gulf of Mexico extending north to the Arkansas border and in towards the Balcones Escarpment. Contained within this area are the Piney Woods, Post Oak Belt, Blackland Belt, and the Coastal Prairies. The Pine Belt or Piney Woods is the source of practically all of Texas’ commercial timber production and is some of the oldest farming areas in the state. The soils and climate are adaptable to a variety of fruit and vegetable crops. Cattle raising is widespread with the development of improved grasses. Iron and steel industries flourishes along with a great oil field discovered in 1931 (remember Spindletop stuck oil in 1901 near Beaumont, another part of our Gulf Coastal Plains area).the Oak Belt area has lignite, commercial clays and some other minerals besides diversified farming and livestock industries. The Blackland Belt developed rapidly as a farming area due to the easily turned soil but quickly grew into a manufacturing area after the 1930’s. The Coastal Prairie is covered with heavy grass in the eastern part with short grasses in the western part. This grass supports some of the densest cattle production in the state. The famed King Ranch and other large ranches are located here. Rice, cotton, and grain sorghum are also major industries, but the growth of petrochemical and aerospace technology has been a vital part of this area since WWII. The Lower Rio Grand Valley provides the greatest citrus and winter vegetable production for Texas. The Rio Grande Plain is the final area of the Guld Coastal region. This part is closer to the prairie construct covered with dense prickly pear, mesquite, dwarf oak and other cactus and wild shrubs so it is devoted primarily to the raising of cattle, sheep, and goats. The Texas Angora goat and mohair industry centers in this area along with the Edwards Plateau to its north.
Laredo, Houston, Corpus Christi, and Waco are some of the largest cities in the Gulf Coastal Region.
The North Central Plains is comprised of the West Texas Rolling Plains, Grand Prairie and Eastern /Western Cross Timbers. It is a limestone-based area adapted primarily to raising livestock and fruit and vegetable crops however most people recognize this region for the cities of Fort Worth and Dallas. Fort Worth is still known for the rich history in the cattle industry and opening the west with the famed cattle drives and stockyards.
The Basin and Range Province is the third physical region including the Davis Mountains, Guadalupe Mountains, and the city of El Paso. Because of its remarkable topography and plant and animal life, the southern part of the Basin and Range Province is home to the Big Bend National Park. The final part of this region is the Upper Rio Grande Valley home to some of the most historical missions and towns in Texas. Cotton is still a chief product of this region.
This brings us to the fourth region of the Lone Star State named the Great Plains. Of course, I am bias, but this is the best region of our state. Covering a vast portion of the state from the Panhandle to the Rio Grande and Edwards Plateau/ Balcones Escarpment to the Davis Mountains/ New Mexico border, it contains some extremely diverse lands. The High Plains has the beauty of the Palo Duro Canyon along with the wideopen fields of grain sorghum, cotton, wheat, and peanuts. Irrigation from underground reservoirs water much of the crop acreage. Amarillo (part of the original Route 66) and Lubbock (home of Texas Tech University) are two of the best-known cities. Along the eastern edge of the Panhandle is a gradual descent of the land’s surface from high to low plains stretching into the Toyah Basin, Stockton Plateau, and Edwards Plateau. This area is of course “home”. We have Sandy Loam and limestone-based soil covered with mesquite ,cedar, and small oak with a varying growth of prickly pear. Cotton is a major crop but the land supports cattle, sheep, and goat industries along with a considerable variety of wildlife. A large portion of the economy is oil related. The farmers and ranchers work closely with the petroleum industry to protect the land and all the resources impacted by the industry activities. The eastern portion of the Edwards Plateau contains what we Texans fondly call the Hill Country and along with the successions of dams on the Colorado and Llano rivers create large reservoirs such as Lake Buchanan. Cities such as San Antonio, Austin, and San Marcos are the tourist and political centers for the state. I prefer the wide-open space and beautiful sunsets of West Texas than the nightlife and traffic of the eastern portion of the Great Plains. But no matter how your tastes run, Texas is that special state that can provide whatever regional type from seaports to desserts, mountains to prairies, cites to country, and anything in between. So, celebrate the birthday of our Lone Star State and please continue to take care of its natural resources so we can keep its beauty for generations to come.