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Texas Karst Database Records
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| Category |
Count |
| Database Records: November 2020 Edition
NOTE: The numbers in the right hand column won't add up to the total database records
because some records have multiple designations, such as cave and spring. |
15,724 |
| Caves: |
6,417 |
| Sinks/Cavities: |
4,715 |
| Shelters: |
995 |
| Springs: |
3,328 |
| Undefined: |
269 |
| Rumored: |
282 |
| Aesthetic caves: |
159 |
| Archeologically significant: |
485 |
| Bad air caves: |
230 |
| Bat caves: |
390 |
| Biologically significant: |
856 |
| Endangered species: |
349 |
| Geologically significant: |
273 |
| Historically significant: |
323 |
| Hydrologically significant: |
639 |
| Paleontologically significant: |
173 |
| Texas counties with karst records: |
202 |
| Records with linked Maps: |
3,214 |
| Records with linked photos: |
2,107 |
| Records with location coordinates: |
13,808 |
| Lost Caves - no location or topographic Map: |
1,916 |
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Definitions:
- Database records:The total database records representing prominent karst features: caves, sinks, cavities, shelters, and springs.
- Cave: A humanly passable subsurface cavity at least 5 meters in traverse length, where no dimension of the entrance exceeds the length.
- Sinks/Cavities: Prominent karst features that don't meet the definition of a cave, shelter, or spring.
- Spring: A naturally occurring cavity or area from which water emerges. Can also be a cave.
- Undefined: Karst records that haven't been identified as a cave, sink, cavity, shelter, or spring.
- Rumored: A record entered on the basis of a reported rumor that hasn’t been verified.
- Archeologically Significant: A record flagged due to known archeological activity or observed material. Typically a sensitive location for visitation.
- Biologically Significant: A record flagged due to presence of biological species of unusual diversity and/or uniqueness.
- Endangered Species: A record flagged due to presence of biological species of endangered status.
- Geologically Significant: A record flagged due to presence of unusual or unique mineralogical, structural, and/or lithological features.
- Historically Significant: A record flagged due to presence of artifacts, signatures, and/or other material older than 50 years
that has historical importance, yet is not prehistoric. May be site of historic event.
- Hydrologically Significant: Caves or features of notable importance to aquifers for their capacity to recharge and discharge groundwater,
relatively high potential to pollute aquifers if they recharge contaminants, and/or their utility in monitoring karst aquifers.
- Paleontologically Significant: A record flagged due to presence of paleontological material that is recognized or inferred to be of importance.
- Texas Counties with recorded karst data: The counties in the State of Texas with at least one record in the database.
- Lost Caves - no location or Topographic Map: The caves without any location data, i.e., UTM or Lat/Lon and no topographic map.
Some of these have very thorough maps and reports.
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