Sunday, March 2, 2014

Environmental Setting (Ch 2)

San Antonio is part of the mild midlatitude climates.  It's humid subtropical, without dry seasons but with hot summers. Generally the weather is great year-round.


Additionally, San Antonio gets its fresh water from the underground Edwards Aquifer.  The Edwards Aquifer is a unique groundwater system.  It is one of the greatest natural resources on Earth, serving the diverse agricultural, industrial, recreational, and domestic needs of almost two million users in south central Texas.  The city has a semi-arid climate, and water from the Edwards is the reason that 18th century Spanish missionaries were able to establish footholds like the Alamo.  San Antonio and many other cities in the surrounding region were able to grow and prosper without developing surface water or other water resources because of the Edwards Aquifer.
In recent decades, demand for water in the region has increased well beyond the Aquifer's capacity to provide, and there are increasing concerns about the welfare of endangered species and regional economies that depend on springflows from the Aquifer.  For these reasons, waters users of the region are facing tough decisions about who owns, controls, and uses Aquifer water.

  


Source:
http://www.edwardsaquifer.net/

No comments:

Post a Comment