A collapsed limestone bluff at Guadalupe River State Park.
Much of Central Texas is underlain by limestone bedrock, which is generally thought to be a stable, durable substrate. However, in recent years, limestone bluffs have collapsed in various bedrock units near the Balcones Escarpment. These occurrences provide dramatic examples of previously unrecognized hazards to human life and property. Several of these recent events have occurred in or adjacent to public parks, endangering hiking trails, rock-climbing walls, and picnic areas.
Though it would be exceedingly difficult to predict such failures with precision, geologic expertise can aid in alerting the public to potential dangers and perhaps be used to establish monitoring programs for indications of decreased slope stability. For the sake of public safety, such information would be valuable to administrative personnel who manage these public areas.
Examples of recent failures include two collapsed rock-climbing walls: one in the Edwards Limestone along the Barton Creek Greenbelt and the other a breakdown of the Cow Creek Limestone along the Pedernales River in Reimers Ranch County Park, Travis County. A third example was the collapse of a Glen Rose Limestone bluff onto a picnic area in Guadalupe River State Park, Kendall County.
