Edwar's Aquifer

Robert Elizalde

March 26, 2008

Humanities

Edward’s Aquifer

The Edward’s Aquifer is one of the greatest water resources in the world. It provides water for domestic needs of almost two million users in south central Texas. Now that alone is amazing. The aquifer is one of the largest aquifer in North America and is 160 miles long and as much as 40 feet wide. The Edward Aquifer is between 300-700 feet thick. The Aquifer is between five to forty miles wide at the surface. We are America’s 7^th largest city and the Aquifer supports us all and more. It can really work miracles. For since I can remember San Antonio and many other cities in the surrounding San Antonio were able to grow and prosper without developing surface water or other water resources because of the Edwards Aquifer. It extends to cover the major part of five counties like, Uvalde, Medina, Bexar, Comal and Hays. It goes into three major rivers like Nueces, San Antonio and Guadalupe. The Edward Aquifer also provides life for more then humans. There is great water life too and there are many species living in it like Texas blind salamander. Many live in caves so are blind or there eyes are really not useful so it’s like being blind. San Antonio and surrounding cities all depend on the Aquifer and it would be really difficult with out it. The springs fed from the aquifer are also home to many unique species.

The Edward’s Aquifer also has a big recharge zone. It is 1,250 square mile area that has a bunch of limestone and surface, letting a lot of water to go into the Edward’s Aquifer. About 75-80% of recharge occurs when streams and rivers go up on top of the surface and then goes back under the ground. I think that what makes the recharge zone so neat. Out of now where all of a sudden you see water that is usually clear and really pretty, but then I can disappear under the ground again. The recharge zone solely relies on rainfall water to determine how much water is passing through it. You can easily tell if there was a recharge zone if there is limestone that is higher then the bed itself. There was not water enough water so instead of eroding the limestone it goes back underground.

There is also land called Transition Zone where there is a lot of limestone’s that overlies the Edwards and makes caves and sinkholes, so it is possible that surface water can still go into the Edwards limestone below. There are nice springs and wells that are made in these kinds of areas. The aquifer supports so many people on its own. So I think that the Edward’s Aquifer is an amazing thing that nature has created for us so that we can live and prosper.

Aquifer Observation

Robert Elizalde

March 26, 2008

Humanities

Aquifer Observation

The Edward’s Aquifer is an amazing ground water system and is one of the best Aquifers in the world. The Edward Aquifer is between 300-700 feet thick. It is water-bearing rock. The Edward’s Aquifer that is in San Antonio is 160 miles long that is curved also. The Aquifer is between five to forty miles wide at the surface. There is a bunch of different springs that come from the Aquifer. The Edward’s Aquifer is where people in San Antonio and around San Antonio get their drinking water.

I liked how the walls of the Aquifer were made out of limestone. It makes the water easy to transport. It also looks really cool. When I went there I liked how the water was really clear. You can really see everything in it. There are a bunch of holes that water is always going through them. The holes are a bunch of different sizes. Also the water in the Blue Hole on Incarnated word campus in San Antonio was really neat. It was flowing pretty well. The water also looked amazingly blue. I guess that why they call it the blue hole. It made me just want to go swimming in it.

My Hood

Robert Elizalde

March 3, 2008

Humanities

My Neighborhood

The hood I represent id the south side of San Antonio. I have lived there all of my life and will continue to live there. It is not the best neighborhood in the world, but I like it. It also is not the safest, but just safe enough. Where I live now is where I was grown up and that is not going to change.

I live in the south side of San Antonio. My neighborhood is between the main roads of Flores and Pleasanton streets. Pleasanton St. is a really long street. It ends when it hits the access road of Loop 410. Loop 410 is a highway that goes in a big circle around San Antonio. When I need to get somewhere far I can always rely in highway Loop 410 to get me where I want to be. Flores St. goes all the way into downtown. So when I don’t feel like using the highway to get into downtown I can use Flores St. I myself live on 707 Deely St. it runs diagonal. The streets that run diagonal with it are Ansley St. and Petaluma St. The streets vertical or on the outside of Deely are Bascum and Chaucer St.

My neighbor’s socio-economic status would be middle class, and working class. My family would be in the middle of middle class and upper middle class. We are surrounded by a lot of working class. On the next street over which is Ansley St. there are some low income houses. They are newly built houses that were built for people that have low income. Around here there are a lot of those kinds of houses being built. Not only on Ansley St. but in front of Kingsborough Middle School also. To get to Kingsborough Middle School from my house you take a right and go down Deely. Then take a left on Bascum and go all the way down. Take a right on Ashley St. and thirty sec. down the road there it is on the left side. Kingsborough is like half a mile away. All the houses are pretty well maintained. For the most part the people around me are family’s that have children already and that are living there permanently. They are starting a family and they are not going to be moving all over the place. There are some houses though that’s poorly maintained. Where the poorly maintained houses are is where the low income houses are. There are even drug dealers there. There are some down the street even. I have been asked I wanted to buy drugs. There were some shootings on the next street and someone was killed. The racial/ethnic population is almost all Hispanic or Mexican.

The most recent recreational facility built was Bellaire Park just down the street. From my house just take a left down Deely, and then a right on Chaucer. Then before the street curves to the right the park is right there to your left. It is not the biggest park, but it is better then nothing. Kingsborough Middle School and Shultz Elementary are the closest schools. The closest high school id McCollum High School and that is where I went to school at. The closest hospital is the one near South San high school. The city is making the main roads newer now, and they are building more houses near by where there is open land available. My neighborhood will benefit from this taking place.

My neighborhood is not too noisy. Only once in a blue moon when there are parties. But there is a bad problem with gangs. When I was at Bellaire Park I had a gun to my head and almost got shot. Then afterwards the guy with the gun asked me if I wanted to buy cocaine. So there has been shootings and much more in my neighborhood. I work at South Park Mall, which is like ten minutes away taking back streets. The easy way is to get on Pleasanton St. and take a left on Military. Just go down there till you see South Park Mall and turn in. I work at the American Eagle in there. I study at Palo Alto College and it’s just a quick ride there too. It also takes like ten minutes. I just take Ansley St. to Pleasanton St. then turn right on Villaret and go all the down till I hit Palo Alto College. I go to both because it is close and convenient

Most of my friends live near by. Even 3 of my friends live on the same street as me. Another lives on streets be hide ma and the next street after that. Everyone knows where everyone lives. It does not take mush time to get to these places. We mostly chill at each other houses or somewhere close by.

I relate to my neighborhood really closely. In a way it kind of represents me. I feel like I belong where I live and would not mind living here for the rest of my life. Even though something new would be nice. I spend almost all of my time here. Everything I need is here. I have family, friends, and love. It does not take much time to get anywhere and is perfect really. I can’t see myself living in any other place.