The Dublin Woman's Thursday Club spent its March and April meetings finishing up its Ecoregions of Texas 2-year study and electing new officers for the upcoming years.
For their March meeting, the club met at the beautiful country home of Leta Sage. After enjoying the wonderful snacks Leta prepared, we enjoyed our final study topic of our two-year course of study on the Ecoregions of Texas, with Leta’s presentation on the Trans-Pecos Ecoregion of Texas. Leta was surprised that this ecoregion is defined more narrowly than she expected.
Nevertheless, this ecoregion is the most complex of all the regions in Texas. It is also underlain with several aquifers. It is often called Far West Texas, west of the Pecos River. Its elevation ranges from 2,500’ – 8749’ at the Guadalupe Peak. It varies from volcanic rock to limestone.
Its average rainfall is less than 12”/year. Unexpectedly, the highest rainfall typically occurs in July and August.
Mountain outwash materials have formed the soils of this ecoregion. Surface textures and profile characteristics are varied. Its soil is generally alkaline.
Due to the diversity of soils and elevations, many vegetation types exist in this Trans-Pecos Ecoregion.
The principal plant communities range from Creosote Tarbush desert scrub, Desert Grassland, Yucca and Juniper savannahs, to Piñon Pine and Oak. The various subregions reflect the diversity of the Trans-Pecos. TheSandHillsarea consists of Shin Oak and Mesquite on wind-blown dunes. Flat-topped mesas and plateaus are intersected by steep-walled canyons and dry washes that comprise the Stockton Plateau. Soils with high salt content and gypsum dunes are typical of the Salt Basin area.
The Desert Scrub subregion is an area of low rainfall and rapid drainage. Creosote Bush flats with Yucca, Lechuguilla, and various small-leafed plants are common. The Desert Grassland area occurs in the central part of the region and is characterized by deeper soils with high clay content.
Finally, the Mountain Ranges have higher rainfall and woody vegetation such as Junipers, Oaks, Piñon Pine, Ponderosa Pine, and Douglas Fir. Ranching is the primary industry in the Trans-Pecos Region.
Trans- Pecos was originally defined in 1887 by Texas geologist, Robert T. Hill. It is part of the Chihuahuan Desert, the largest desert in North America. It is the most mountainous and arid part of the state.
Most of the area, with the exception of El Paso, is sparsely populated. Among the nine counties in the region are the five largest counties by area in Texas, and eight of the eleven largest in the state. Brewster County is 10% larger than the state of Connecticut. Terrell County, with 760 residents, is the smallest (0.32 persons/square mile).
El Paso, by comparison hosts 853 persons/square mile. The two major highways through this region are the I-20 and the I-10.
This area is known for the natural environment of the Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, and the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. It has also been designated as a National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and is distinguished as an International Dark Sky Park.
Measurements taken here show that it has the darkest skies in the contiguous United States. 450 species of birds use this area as a flyway. The many aquifers; Pecos Valley Aquifer, Rustler Aquifer, Capitan Reef Complex Aquifer, West Texas Bolsons Aquifers, Bone Spring-Victorio Peak Aquifer, Igneous Aquifer, and Hueco-Mesilla Bolsons Aquifer, are vital for our future in this ranching region typified by low rainfall. We ought to keep this in mind as powers that be desire to build massive AI Centers in El Paso that require massive amounts of groundwater from throughout the state, even from our part of the state.
At the end of the meeting, the club voted for its next 2-year Course of Study between: 7Genresof TexasMusic, Mountains of the World, State Parks of Texas, National Parks of the U.S. and Signers of the U.S. Constitution.
The majority voted for Signers of the U.S. Constitution, in light of the 250 Year Anniversary of the country coming up this year.
The April meeting was a business meeting, and the most important item of business was the Installment of Officers for the upcoming 2026-2028 term. The club's new officers are: Denise Weems, President, Patty Hirst, Vice President, Janet Pino, Recording Secretary, Leta Sage, Corresponding Secretary, Dana Herod, Treasurer, Censor, Mary Howard, Reporter, DJ Klutts, Engineer, Edilsia Jimenez and Parliamentarian, Fran Jurney.
The group officially breaks for the summer, though they typically gather unofficially periodically to help the library with its Summer Reading Program and its Back-to-School Event.
The membership also plans to meet to help label items identified during the last two years as a part of the Past President, Judith Robbins-Lemons’ Special Project. Thank you, Judith, for all the time and effort you put into our group these last few years, despite all the commuting and health challenges you faced during that time. Our upcoming Special Project will be Supporting our Dublin Volunteer Fire Department.
Our next meeting will be our President’s Luncheon, on Saturday, Sept. 26. Details will be announced closer to the meeting date. Have a great summer, all!