Taking the Waters in Texas


Book Description

This historical study reveals a fascinating yet forgotten aspect of life in nineteenth century Texas—its once-famous mineral spring health spas. Southern Texas once boasted an enviable variety of mineral waters. Though most are closed and nearly forgotten today, Texas spas and resorts once drew thousands of visitors from across the country. They came seeking rejuvenation of body and spirit in the healing mineral waters. This book offers the first comprehensive history of Texas’ healing springs. Janet Valenza tracks the rise, popularity, and decline of the "water cure" from the 1830s to the present day. She follows the development of major spas and resorts, such as Mineral Wells and Indian Hot Springs near El Paso, as well as smaller, family-run springs. Valenza also describes how mineral waters influenced patterns of settlement, transportation routes, commerce, and people’s attitudes toward the land. Period photos and quotes from those seeking cures offer vivid glimpses into the daily life at the springs, which Valenza lists and describes county-by-county in the appendix.




Springs of Texas


Book Description

This text explores the natural history of Texas and more than 2900 springs in 183 Texas counties. It also includes an in-depth discussion of the general characteristics of springs - their physical and prehistoric settings, their historical significance, and their associated flora and fauna.




The Living Waters of Texas


Book Description

In ten impassioned essays, veteran Texas environmental advocates and conservation professionals step outside their roles as lawyers, lobbyists, administrators, consultants, and researchers to write about water. Their personal stories of what the springs, rivers, bottomlands, bayous, marshes, estuaries, bays, lakes, and reservoirs mean to them and to our state come alive in the landscape photography of Charles Kruvand. Allied with the Texas Living Waters Project (a joint education and policy initiative of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club, the National Wildlife Federation, and the Environmental Defense Fund, among others), editor Ken Kramer joins his fellow activists in a call to keep rivers flowing, to protect wildlife habitat, and to save tax dollars by using water efficiently and sustainability. INSIDE THIS BOOK:Introduction: the Living Waters of Texas—Ken KramerWhere the First Raindrop Falls—David K. LangfordSpringing to Life: Keeping the Waters Flowing—Dianne WassenichHooked on Rivers—Myron J. HessFalling in Love with Bottomlands: Waters and Forests of East Texas—Janice BezansonOn the Banks of the Bayous: Preserving Nature in an Urban Environment—Mary Ellen WhitworthA Taste of the Marsh—Susan Raleigh KaderkaBays and Estuaries of Texas: An Ephemeral Treasure?—Ben F. Vaughan IIIRio Grande: Fragile Lifeline in the Desert—Mary E. KellyLeaving a Water Legacy for Texas—Ann Thomas HamiltonTexas Water Politics: Forty Years of Going with the Flow—Ken Kramer




Texas Aquatic Science


Book Description

This classroom resource provides clear, concise scientific information in an understandable and enjoyable way about water and aquatic life. Spanning the hydrologic cycle from rain to watersheds, aquifers to springs, rivers to estuaries, ample illustrations promote understanding of important concepts and clarify major ideas. Aquatic science is covered comprehensively, with relevant principles of chemistry, physics, geology, geography, ecology, and biology included throughout the text. Emphasizing water sustainability and conservation, the book tells us what we can do personally to conserve for the future and presents job and volunteer opportunities in the hope that some students will pursue careers in aquatic science. Texas Aquatic Science, originally developed as part of a multi-faceted education project for middle and high school students, can also be used at the college level for non-science majors, in the home-school environment, and by anyone who educates kids about nature and water. To learn more about The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, sponsors of this book's series, please click here.




Water Code


Book Description




The Swimming Holes of Texas


Book Description

Nothing beats a natural swimming hole for cooling off on a scorching summer day in Texas. Cold, clear spring water, big old shade trees, and a quiet stretch of beach or lawn offer the perfect excuse to pack a cooler and head out with family and friends to the nearest natural oasis. Whether you’re looking for a quick getaway or an unforgettable summer vacation, let The Swimming Holes of Texas be your guide. Julie Wernersbach and Carolyn Tracy highlight one hundred natural swimming spots across the entire state. The book is organized by geographic regions, so you can quickly find local places to swim—or plan a trip to a more distant spot you’d like to explore. Each swimming hole is illustrated with an inviting color photo and a description of what it’s like to swim there, as well as the site’s history, ecology, and conservation. The authors include all the pertinent info about admission fees and hours, parking, and on-site amenities such as showers and restrooms. They also offer tips for planning your trips and lists of the swimming holes that are most welcoming to families and pets. So when the temperature tops 100 and there’s nothing but traffic in sight, take a detour down the backroads and swim, sunbathe, revel, and relax in the swimming holes of Texas.




Taking the Waters in Texas


Book Description

This historical study reveals a fascinating yet forgotten aspect of life in nineteenth century Texas—its once-famous mineral spring health spas. Southern Texas once boasted an enviable variety of mineral waters. Though most are closed and nearly forgotten today, Texas spas and resorts once drew thousands of visitors from across the country. They came seeking rejuvenation of body and spirit in the healing mineral waters. This book offers the first comprehensive history of Texas’ healing springs. Janet Valenza tracks the rise, popularity, and decline of the "water cure" from the 1830s to the present day. She follows the development of major spas and resorts, such as Mineral Wells and Indian Hot Springs near El Paso, as well as smaller, family-run springs. Valenza also describes how mineral waters influenced patterns of settlement, transportation routes, commerce, and people’s attitudes toward the land. Period photos and quotes from those seeking cures offer vivid glimpses into the daily life at the springs, which Valenza lists and describes county-by-county in the appendix.




Crazy Water


Book Description

Mineral Wells, Stoval Hot Wells, Marlin, Glen Rose, Sour Lake, Indian Hot Springs, Wizard Wells -- there were dozens of places all over the state where heavily mineralized water lay beneath the soil. In pioneer days, the news often set off a land rush, with wagons flocking to the medicinal founts of "miracle" healing. Before the discovery of antibiotics -- and sometimes afterward - drinking and bathing in mineral waters were an important part of health care for many Texans. In a lively look at resorts large and small and the men who ran them, from quack doctors and elixir pitchmen to legitimate businessmen and physicians, Crazy Water takes readers from one end of the state to the other, listening to testimonials, reading amazing descriptions, marveling at the gulibility of the afflicted and the inventiveness of the healers.







Medical Hydrology


Book Description