LIKE THIS, HOW TO PRESERVE IT. KSAT EXPLAINS IS UP NEXT. COMAL COUNTY SITS IN THE CROSS
HAIRS OF AN INTENSIFYING BATTLE
BETWEEN CONSERVATION OF
PRECIOUS RESOURCES AND A
GROWING POPULATION. LOOKING TO
CALL THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY
HOME. ITS LOCATION PUTS IT ON A
GEOGRAPHICAL BATTLEFIELD.
YEAH, IT’S ALSO HOME TO THE
LONGEST CAVE IN THE STATE.
AND OKAY, THAT’S A GREAT
EXAMPLE OF WHAT’S AT STAKE.
>> RECENTLY, JUSTIN HORNE AND
SARAH SPIDEY WERE GRANTED
SPECIAL ACCESS TO THAT VERY
CAVE, WHICH SHOWCASES THE
TRINITY OFFER AND LIES ON
PRIVATE PROPERTY. AND IN
TODAY’S KSAT EXPLAINS, SARAH
AND JUSTIN, TAKE US INSIDE
HONEY CREEK K FOR A SWIM, BUT
ALSO TO HIGHLIGHT.
>> HOW WOULD NOW COEXISTS WITH
A FAST GROWING COME OUT COUNTY?
>> A QUICK RATE OF A RUGGED
TERRAIN AND PRIVATE PROPERTY.
IT GETS US TO WHAT LOOKS LIKE
THE GARDEN OF EDEN. A WATERFALL
MARKS, THE ENTRANCE OR EXIT,
DEPENDING ON HOW YOU VIEW IT OF
THE LONGEST ONE OF THE MOST
BEAUTIFUL CASE IN TEXAS, HONEY
THAT’S A MAJOR DISCHARGE POINT
FOR THAT. REALLY AWKWARD FOR
THE CAVE ITSELF IS A
SIGNIFICANT WATER SOURCE THAT
FEEDS HONEY CREEK, WHICH THEN
FEEDS WANT TO PAY RIVER
EXPLORATION OF THE STATE.
TREASURER REQUIRES A WETSUIT,
NOT JUST BECAUSE IT’S FILLED
WITH WATER FROM THE TRINITY
AQUIFER, BUT BECAUSE THE WATER
IS A CHILLY 68 DEGREES TODAY
WILL BE SWIMMING. IT’S STILL MY
FAVORITE CAVE AND IT STILL
IMPRESSIVE TO ME EVEN AFTER ALL
THESE TRIPS, IT’S STILL AN
INCREDIBLY IMPRESSIVE KAYE.
KIRK. 19 HAS BEEN SERVING HONEY
SINCE 1980. CAVE LIES ALONG
HONEY CREEK, JUST SOUTH OF THE
GUADALUPE RIVER. I DON’T
REMEMBER EXACTLY HOW MANY TIMES
I’VE BEEN IN HERE, BUT IT’S
WELL OVER 200. HE ALONG WITH
HYDRO GEOLOGIST, GARY SHUN THE
EXPERIENCED CAVER JOHN YOUNG
AND HELEN BLEW A CONSERVATION
CONSULTANT FOR THE COME OUT.
COUNTY CONSERVATION ALLIANCE
WILL BE LEADING SARAH SPIVEY
PHOTOJOURNALIST ADAM HIGGINS IN
MYSELF INTO THIS AQUATIC
ADVENTURE. WE’RE GOING TO KEEP
AN EYE ON YOU LIKE WHAT YOU
DO ANYTHING TO DO. SO WITH THAT
IN MIND IN WE GO TO A SMALL
ENTRY POINT IMMEDIATELY, IT’S
APPARENT DESPITE HAVING CAVE
MANY TIMES, THIS IS UNLIKE
ANYTHING I’VE EXPERIENCED
BEFORE. THIS CAME FORMED ALONG
A SERIES OF JOINT SOME
FRACTURES. AND SO THE CAVE IS
WHEN IT REALLY EXTENDS ABOUT
5 IT’S ALSO RELATIVELY UNIQUE
IN THE SENSE THAT ONLY HAS ONE
NATURAL ENTRANCE. IT’S
>> 15, 20 FEET WIDE OVER YOUR
HEAD DEEPER. MOST ALL OF IT.
AND THERE’S FORMATIONS THAT
COME DOWN FROM THE CEILING INTO
THE WATER. SO YOU HAVE TO WEAVE
YOUR WAY THROUGH THEM AND A
LOT OF PLACES. THERE ARE A
NUMBER OF SPECIES IN THE CAVE.
SOME SOME TERRESTRIAL. THERE
ARE BATS IN THE CAVE. AND AS WE
FOUND OUT THE EVER FAMOUS BLIND
SALAMANDER ALSO CALLS THIS CAVE
HOME. THE WATER CRYSTAL CLEAR
AND HALFWAY THROUGH THE KEY
REQUIRES US TO GO UNDER WATER.
WHEN YOU GET UP HERE
AND OR IT’S NOT A PLACE FOR THE
CLUSTER BOAT.
>> BUT IF YOU CAN BRAVE SOME
TIGHT SPACES CHAMBER AFTER
CHEEVER REVEALS EVEN MORE
BEAUTY.
♪
BEAUTY. ♪ >> MANY MILES.
>> WATERFALL MARCH ONE AND A
HALF HOURS IN FROM THERE.
WE TURN BACK 3 HOURS OF
TREADING WATER AND IT’S NOT
ENOUGH TO ABSORB ALL THAT HONEY
CREEK CAVE HAS TO OFFER SARAH’S
NAME AMAZING.
>> AND THE WATER WAS SO COOL.
IT WAS BEAUTIFUL TO ACTUALLY BE
IN. THE EVENT ARE ALSO
UNDERSCORES JUST HOW IMPORTANT
CASE LIKE THIS ONE ARTICLE NOW
COUNTY, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO BE
PUT DEVELOPMENT ON TOP OF THE
GAME LIKE THIS? WELL, YOU KNOW,
ONE OF THE CONCERNS, ESPECIALLY
WITHOUT GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL
CONTROLS IS THAT WE WOULD SEE
RUNOFF FROM THE ORGANIZATION,
YOU KNOW, OIL HEAVY METALS,
ETCETERA, AND THEREIN LIES THE
CURRENT DEBATE. HOW TO WANT TO
LIVE IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY WITH
PROTECTING WHAT PEOPLE ARE
COMING HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
ALL OF COME OUT COUNTY IS SUPER
SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT’S EITHER
OVER THE TRINITY OUTPUT FOR
OR THE EDWARDS AQUIFER. SO
ALMOST THE ENTIRE COUNTY IS
RECHARGE DOWN FOR WATER SUPPLY
RECENTLY. THE LAND NOTICE ANY
CREEK SPRING RANCH, WHICH IS
HOME TO THE PART OF HONEY CREEK
CAME. WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH
TO SUPPLEMENT TO AND WHERE
HONEY CREEK SPRINGS LOOK AT.
IT WAS PLACED INTO A
CONSERVATION EASEMENT 700 ACRES
WORKED.
>> A HUGE STEP FORWARD FOR
THOSE LOOKING TO PROTECT THIS
ECOSYSTEM. THIS KIND OF HE’S
BEEN MEANS THE LANDOWNERS
RETAIN OWNERSHIP, BUT IT CAN’T
BE SUBDIVIDED IN LIMITS,
STRUCTURES. IN OTHER WORDS,
IS PROTECTED IN PERPETUITY.
ONE LANDOWNER DECIDED THAT DAY
THAT THEY NEEDED TO DO THIS.
>> THERE A LOT EXCITEMENT IN
OUR ORGANIZATION BECAUSE WE
RECOGNIZE HOW IMPORTANT IS
PIECE OF PROPERTY WAS IF THEY
HAD DECIDED TO DO THE OTHER
THING JUST TO SELL IT THAT THE
ONLY PEOPLE THAT COULD HAVE
AFFORDED IT WOULD HAVE BEEN
DEVELOPERS AND WE MIGHT HAVE
HOUSES RIGHT UP ON TOP OF THAT
SPRING, WHICH WOULD HAVE
DIMINISHED EVERYTHING ABOUT IT
WAS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE
NATURE CONSERVANCY TEXAS PARKS
AND WILDLIFE IN THE LANDOWNERS
OWNED BY THEM OR SYNAGOGUE SAYS
THIS LAND HAS BEEN IN THEIR
FAMILY FOR 6 GENERATIONS.
SOME OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE
OWNERS OF ANY CAVE IN THIS
COUNTRY. WELL, WE WERE ABLE
TO TALK TO THE LAND. OWNERS
WERE TOLD THEY LIKELY TOOK LESS
MONEY THAN IF THEY CHOSE TO
SELL TO A DEVELOPER. AND AT THE
END OF THE DAY, THEY RECEIVED
PEACE OF MIND. THE CONSERVATION
EASEMENT IS IS REALLY SPECIAL.
IT WILL PROTECT A LARGE PART OF
THE CAVE.
>> OF COURSE, SOME OF OUR
CONCERNS IS THAT THE CAVE IS
SO EXTENSIVE THAT THE
CONSERVATION EASEMENT DOESN’T
COVER THE ENTIRE CASE. AND YOU
KNOW, THERE NEEDS TO BE EFFORTS
MADE TO TRY AND PROTECT ENTIRE
WATERSHED FOR THE CAVE, WHICH
MEANS DESPITE CITY ADJACENT TO
HONEY CREEK STATE, NATURAL
AREA, WHICH CONTAINS MORE FUNNY
CREEK CONSERVATION OF THIS PART
OF COME OUT COUNTY MAY NOT BE
DONE. THERE’S A NEARBY 100
CREEK RANCH THAT IS STATUS
UNKNOWN, VERY CLOSE TO BEING
CLOSE ON A CONSERVATION
EASEMENT. BUT HANG OUT.
>> OVER WATER CONTRACT, YOU’RE
NOT GOING TO STOP DEVELOPMENT.
>> HOPEFULLY WITH A PROTECTING
THE RIGHT PLACES, YOU CAN NOT
KILL THE GOLDEN GOOSE. THERE
COULD HARDLY BE ANYTHING MORE
IMPORTANT TO THE HUMANS LIVING
IN THIS AREA THAN TO PROTECT
OUR WATER SUPPLY.
>> AND BY PROTECTING THE LAND.
OVER THE AQUIFER, YOU’RE
PROTECTING THE WATER. AND WHILE
YOU’RE DOING THAT, YOU’RE ALSO
PROTECTING WILDLIFE. RAPID
GROWTH MAY HAVE TAKEN COME OUT
COUNTY A BIT BY SURPRISE.
BUT CONSERVATION EFFORTS NOW
GETTING UP TO SPEED.
>> BUT YOU CAN BET THAT
DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION
WILL BE A POINT OF CONTENTION
IN THE COUNTY FOR YEARS TO
COME. AND REGARDLESS OF WHERE
YOU STAND, ONE THING IS FOR
SURE, THE NATIONAL RESOURCES
AND COME OUT COUNTY ARE NOTHING
SHORT OF STUNNING AND HONEY
CREEK CAVE STILL HAS MORE
BEAUTY TO REVEAL. I’VE ENJOYED
BEING ABLE TO EXPLORE ALL THESE
YEARS. AND I HOPE THAT THE
FUTURE GENERATIONS OF CAVERS
CAN ALSO ENJOY AND CONTINUE
TO ADD TO ITS SURVEY FOR KSAT
EXPLAINS. I’M METEOROLOGIST
JUSTIN HORNE TOO.
>> YOU CAN WATCH ANY KSAT
EXPLAINS STORY BY SCANNING THE
QR CODE YOU SEE RIGHT HERE THAT
WILL TAKE YOU TO THE EXPLAINS
WEB PAGE WHERE YOU CAN VIEW
ALL OUR EPISODES ON A VARIETY