Spring 2014

TEXAS STATE
Photo Credits: Cover, Inside Flap, Page 2 (Foreword), Page 34 (Afterword), Outside Flap and Back cover: public domain / Wikimedia Commons. Photos, maps, and
tables in articles are copyright individual article author except as noted. Articles are copyright their author.
The work within this magazine was published with permission of the authors.
Texas State Geographic is not affiliated with the Department of Geography or Texas State University.
1

TEXAS STATE
SPRING 2014



2 Foreword


Alex Arlinghaus
3 Park System Expansion in San Marcos

Rachel Betts
6 Income & Transportation in Austin, TX
An analysis of methods using quantitative methods and GIS

Krystal Warren
11 It Came From the Sea
A Hurricane Comparison

Sara Breit
14 What is the Cheapest RV Park Nearest
to Nature on the Texas Coast?

Sarah Reverman
17 National Wildlife Refuges for the
Endangered Ocelot Leopardus pardalis
A Proposal


Brian Nieto
21 Central Texas Motocross
A Locational Analysis


Kelly Royall
24 Fire Hydrant Distribution and
Effectiveness in Luling, Texas


Kelsey Dennis
28 Apartment Hunters San Marcos


Jacob Waterman
30 Spatial Analysis of Marketing Focus for
Shell Rotella SuperRigs Event



34 Afterword


2

Welcome to our inaugural issue!

For many Texans, the first experience exploring the larger world of geography came from the pages
of National Geographic magazine and the work of the National Geographic Society. Each month as
young kids, we were exposed to distant lands, planets, people and animals from the past to the
present, from the macro to the micro, and from all corners of the earth and beyond. It was this
bounty of topics that encouraged many of us to become professional geographers in the first place.
It is inspired by the spirit of their work that we present our first issue of Texas State Geographic.
Texas State Geographic aspires to celebrate the work of our students and researchers who apply
geographic techniques to answer real-world questions and solve real-world problems. This issue has
a strong environmental and social focus looking at problems in urban transportation, rural housing
analysis, species propagation, and other topics near and dear to our Lone Star state.
The students who present their work within represent the passion and work that geography creates.
We appreciate their hard work and effort, and we hope you enjoy there articles.
Sincerely,
David A. Parr Dr. Christi Townsend Nathaniel Dede-Bamfo

*Note: Texas State Geographic is not affiliated with the Department of Geography or Texas State University.
3

3




























Park System Expansion in San Marcos
Alex Arlinghaus
Where are the best locations for expanding
the Park System in San Marcos, Texas?
San Marcos is city in south central Texas, 29 miles
south of Austin and 49 miles north of San Antonio.
The city, with a 2010 population of 44,894, is the
fastest growing of its size with a growth rate of
6.9% between 2011 and 2012. As the city expands,
greenspace shrinks. This project aims to preserve
some of this open space in the urban area by
finding the best locations for the addition of new
parks, or for the expansion of existing parkland. In
order to select the appropriate locations, an area
must:
Be outside the environmentally sensitive
Edwards Aquifer recharge zone
Be within one mile of downtown San
Marcos in order to be in the urban area
Be adjacent to an existing park, or be large
enough to become a new park.



Existing Parks
4















Analysis Methods
1. First I added the parks, open space, and Edwards
aquifer recharge zone layers, as well as a satellite
imagery layer simply for reference and aesthetics.
2. In order to find the areas that are less
environmentally sensitive, I performed a union
between the recharge zone and existing parks
layers. From the new layer's attribute table I can
see and select which parks are in the recharge
zone and which ones aren't.
3. I then selected by attributes to find the parks that
were not within recharge zone
4. Then I created a new parks layer out of them and
deleted the combined parks/aquifer layer.
5. I repeated this process for the open space layer to
get picture 4.
6. In order for the new park to be in the urban area, I
added a neighborhoods layer created a buffer of 1
mile around the downtown neighborhood.
(Picture 5)
7. I clipped the existing parks, and open space layers
so they show the places within the 1 mile buffer.
Then I removed the neighborhoods layer as it is
now unnecessary, as well as the parks, and open
space layers that lay outside the buffer, as these
are unsuitable for our criteria. (Picture 6)
8. To find the areas that existing parks could expand
into, I used select by location. The open space that
is adjacent to an existing park is shown in Picture
7.
9. Finally, to see which areas are big enough to
become new parks I used select by attributed to
see what open space is larger than 1.5 million sq.
ft. (Picture 8)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Data Sources:
Texas State University data, 2013: Parks, Open Space, City Limits and neighborhood
layer data, and digital imagery data. Accessed March 25
th
, 2014
Edwards Aquifer Authority, 2013: Aquifer Zones layer data.
http://edwardsaquifer.org/aquifer-data-and-maps/gis Accessed March 25
th
, 2014

5



Conclusion
The map to the left
shows the spaces
that best fit our
criteria. These areas
represent the places
in which the park
system could
expand. The spaces
in Light yellow are
where new,
independent parks
could be created.
Light green
symbolizes areas
that are ideal for
expanding existing
parks. If these areas
were taken under
city control and
preserved, it would
greatly expand San
Marcos greenspace.
References
Edward's Aquifer Authority. (2014). Edward's Aquifer Authority. Retrieved from
Edward's Aquifer Authority: edwardsaquifer.org
Price, M. (2014). Mastering ArcGIS. New York: McGraw Hill.

INCOME & TRANSPORTATION IN AUSTIN, TX: AN ANALYSIS OF
RELATIONSHIP UTILIZING QUANTITATIVE METHODS AND GIS
Rachel J. Betts
Texas State Geographic

6



Figure 1: Photo taken from www.capmetro.com

Income &
Transportation
in Austin, TX:
An analysis of
relationship
utilizing
Quantitative
Methods and GIS
Issue Date

PURPOSE

AUTHOR
The Geographic Question
Geography is a spatial science concerned with
the spatial analysis of the human and ecological
experiences. Modern geography uses multi-
disciplinary methods to understand the Earth
and all of its complexities - not merely where
objects are, but how they have changed and
come to be. Where is it? Why is it there? are
constant questions geographers ask when they
look at a map or analyze relationships between
characteristics of a location.
GIScience, or Geographic Information Science,
and Quantitative (Statistical) Methods are tools
that geographers use to understand
relationships between elements, answer real
world questions and make predictions for future
trends in spatial phenomena.
The geographic question that will be addressed
within this study is as follows:
Is there a significant difference between the
census block group income level and the ratio of
people to bus stops in Austin, TX? This question
will address income equality by exploring
whether bus stops are equally distributed with
regard to income in Austin.
The objective for researching income and
transportation in Austin, Texas is to utilize two
geographic tools, GIScience & Quantitative
Methods, to verify whether a significant
difference exists between census block group
income level and the ratio of people to bus stops
in Austin, Texas.
This question is of importance because of the
rising population of Austin and the traffic
congestion that is rapidly increasing in the
Central Texas Region due to this increase in
population.



Rachel J. Betts
Rachel J. Betts is a Geography student at
Texas State University, currently in her
senior year pursuing her Bachelors
Degree. Her focus is on Urban and
Regional Planning, with a Minor in Mass
Communications. Rachel enjoys
gardening, volunteering in her
community, and travelling. She
currently lives at Heirloom Blooms in San
Marcos, TX with her boyfriend Derrick
Lee, her two cats Tuna and Tiger, and
her dog Dandy.





Capital Metro's projections for
the Bus Rapid Transit System.
Image from Capital Metro
Website.
INCOME & TRANSPORTATION IN AUSTIN, TX: AN ANALYSIS OF
RELATIONSHIP UTILIZING QUANTITATIVE METHODS AND GIS |



7

Background
Austin, Texas is a growing metropolitan area
with a growth rate of 2.8 %. According to
the Austin American Statesman, New
census population estimates show surges in
Texas' biggest metropolitan centers, and
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos ranks as the
nation's second fastest growing metro area
between April 2010 and July 2011, with a 3.9
percent population increase. The new
estimates put the Austin metro area's
population at 1.78 million. The Austin area
added 67,230 people during the 15-month
period. Travis County had the majority of
that gain, with 38,858.
According to the Austin Business Journal,
The Tech Boom and rapid population
growth have caused income levels in Austin
to become progressively segregated. The
rapid population growth in Austin has an
effect on not only the demographics but also
the infrastructure. Transportation has
struggled to service the growing population.
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation
Authority (Capital Metro) along with the City
of Austin and the Capital Area Metropolitan
Planning Organization (CAMPO) are working
together under the partnership of Project
Connect. Project Connect aims for a high-
capacity regional transportation system for
Central Texas which would relieve heavy
amounts of traffic for Austin.





The Tech Boom and rapid population growth has caused income
levels for Austin to become progressively segregated according
to the Austin Business Journal.
Data Sources
Capital Metro, 2010. Bus Stop Point Data.
http://www.capmetro.org/metrolabs/.
Accessed March 28
th
, 2014.
Map Service ESRI: ArcGIS Online Server,
2012. Demographics; USA Median Income.
http://goto.arcgisonline.com/maps/Demogra
phics/USA_Median_Household_Income .
Accessed April 10th, 2014.
CAPCOG: US Census 2010 Geodatabase,
2010. http://www.capcog.org/data-maps-
and-reports/geospatial-data/ . Accessed
March 28
th
, 2014.

INCOME & TRANSPORTATION IN AUSTIN, TX: AN ANALYSIS OF
RELATIONSHIP UTILIZING QUANTITATIVE METHODS AND GIS
Rachel J. Betts
Texas State Geographic

8

Method of Analysis
The methods used to analyze the data obtained
involve both GIScience and Quantitative Methods.
The level at which data will be analyzed is the US
Census blockgroup. A blockgroup is a statistical
division of census tract generally containing
between 600 to 3,000 people.
The quantitative analysis that will be used to test the
hypothesis is the Analysis Of Variance (ANOVA).
ANOVA is a statistical test that may be used to
compare group (sample) means. ANOVA produces a
ratio of the variation between groups to the variation
within groups, referred to as an F-ratio. ANOVA will
be used to calculate the difference of bus stop
availability between income levels. The F-Ratio that
will be calculated is the Ratio: Population per Bus
Stop. This shows the population density serviced by
each bus stop at the blockgroup level
Detail of Analysis

1. The first step was to create basemaps for income levels, bus
stops and population. Basemaps from ESRI Map Service are
an excellent resource; however, the ability to utilize the data
given in the map is limited. In order to have a map which
could be edited, an overlay of blockgroup data on top of the
USA Income Data was needed.
2. For the purpose of creating a ratio of measurement that
illustrates population per bus stop at the blockgroup level,
different data sources were joined together. In order to do
this 3 different joins needed to be completed:
a. A summarized join of the Block Population layer to
the Income Blockgroup layer which created the
Block_Pop layer.
b. A summarized join of the Bus Stop layer to the
Income Blockgroup layer, which created the
Block_Stops layer.
c. A table Join of the newly created Block_Stops
layer to the Block_Pop layer.
3. The newly edited attribute table from the Block_Pop layer
was exported into Excel for the purpose of using the data in
the ANOVA Analysis.
4. In Excel a column in which the population-per-bus stop ratio
was calculated. This data was used in the calculation of the F-
Ratio for the ANOVA.


5. There were a few data points that compromised the integrity
of the ANOVA, such as blockgroups in which there are no bus
stops. Of 581 blockgroups in Austin, 172 did not have bus
stops. This data was left out of the analysis, due to the invalid
ratio that came as a result.
6. Once the population to bus stop ratio was calculated, it was
possible to group all data together based on income levels 1-
6. It was then possible to calculate the F-Ratio by calculating
the ANOVA.
Excel Spreadsheet used to analyze data
Quantitative Methods
Use Attribute Table to create
column of Ratio: Population per
Bus Stop at Blockgroup Level
Group all data based on
Blockgroup Income Level
ANOVA of the Ratio:
Population per Bus Stop at
Blockgroup Level

GIS
Create Blockgroup Layer for
Income Data

Summarized Join of Block
Population Layer to
Blockgroup Layer

Create Block_Population
Layer

Summarized Join of Bus
Stop Layer to Blockgroup
Layer
Create Block_Stops Layer

Table Join of Block_Stops to
Block_Population

Export Attribute Table to
Excel for Quantitative
Analysis

The two text boxes on this page indicate
the steps taken in order to test the null
hypothesis:
H: There is no significant difference
between the census block group income
level and the ratio of people to bus
stops in Austin, TX.
Data Analysis
Below is a sample of the Excel Spreadsheet used to analyze the data
extracted from ArcGIS. The two highlighted Titles include Ratio:
Pop/ Stops and Ratio: Means/ Blockgroup Level.
Ratio: Pop/ Stops is the ratio of population per bus stop within each
blockgroup. This was calculated by dividing the Population at
Blockgroup Level by the Bus Stops/ Blockgroup.
Ratio: Means/ Blockgroup Level is the mean of the calculated ratios
for each income level.
INCOME & TRANSPORTATION IN AUSTIN, TX: AN ANALYSIS OF
RELATIONSHIP UTILIZING QUANTITATIVE METHODS AND GIS |



9

Results
The F-Ratio calculated was 2.162. The calculated test
statistics proved to not exceed the critical F-Ratio of
2.236, though by a slim margin. The p-value was 0.057, a
low value which shows high integrity of data. Although
the calculated F-Value did not exceed the F-critical Value,
it is possible that more testing should be done. The data
included within the ratio of population per bus stop
excludes data from blockgroups which do not contain bus
stops. These specific blockgroups happen to be the
blockgroups which have the highest income.
When the means are calculated from the population-per-
bus stop ratios by the income level, it shows a trend,
though it may not show in the ANOVA analysis. Below
the ANOVA Results is a graph representing the ratio
means of bus stop availability per income level titled
Summary of Average Bus Stops per Income Level.






Income 1 in the bar graph to the right is synonymous with $24,000 or
less, which is the lowest designation of income level. Income 1, which
has 5 blockgroups, has an average of 319.5 people per bus stop. It is
noticeable that the ratio of population-per-bus stop increases as the
income increases. That is, there are more people per bus stop, i.e. less
availability of bus stops associated with higher income blockgroups.
The blue graph in the chart represents the number of blockgroups
associated with income, whereas the orange graph within the chart is
the mean or average ratio level of population to bus stop.


Conclusion

Below is a visual representation of the data
used for the ANOVA Analysis. The darkest
red on the map represents the areas which
have the highest population per bus stop
ratio, i.e. least public transit availability. The
crosshatch represents the areas with the
highest income. Although there is some
overlay it is a general conclusion that there is
a significant difference between income
levels and the ratio of population to bus stop
within those income levels.
Although the ANOVA analysis calls for a
failure to reject the null hypothesis it can be
said that the data calls for more research into
this subject and an analysis of other modes
of transportation other than bus transit.
This information is important to the City of
Austin and surrounding areas due to the
rapid growth it is experiencing. As Austin
continues to grow the congestion of traffic
will only worsen. While Capital Metro is
currently working on a comprehensive plan
to revitalize Austin with public transportation
options, research should be done to ensure
fair and equal access to public transportation
across the City.
Continued research could include the use of
other methods utilizing mapping and
statistics which explore access, availability,
and frequency of bus, rail, and other
methods of public transportation.


Calculated Ratio Means per Income level
Key
Income 1 = $24,000 or less
Income 2 = $24,001 to $39,000
Income 3 = $39,001 to $53,000
Income 4 = $53,001 to $68,000
Income 5 = $68,001 to $82,000
Income 6 = More than $82,000

ANOVA Results with P-Value, F- Ratio, and F-Critical Value Highlighted
INCOME & TRANSPORTATION IN AUSTIN, TX: AN ANALYSIS OF
RELATIONSHIP UTILIZING QUANTITATIVE METHODS AND GIS |



10


References
1. Wells, Kirstin and Thill, Jean-Claude. 2011. Do Transit-Dependent Neighborhoods Receive Inferior Bus Access? A Neighborhood Analysis
in Four Cities. Journal of Urban Affairs.
2. Castillo, Juan. 2014. Austin Area Growth Rate Rank 2
nd
in Nation. Austin American Statesman.
http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/austin-area-growth-rate-ranks-2nd-in-nation/nRmkd/. Accessed Online April 9
th
, 2014.
3. Theis, Michael. 2014. Monday Map: How Economic Segregation Spreads Out in Austin Area.
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2014/04/07/monday-map-how-economic-segregation-spreads-out-in.html?page=all. Accessed
Online April 10
th
, 2014.


TEXAS STATE GEOGRAPHIC IT CAME FROM THE SEA Issue 1




Texas
State
Geographic
It Came from the Sea






Tragedy is a tool for the living to gain
wisdom, not a guide by which to live
Robert F. Kennedy 1925-1968
In the wake of a disaster it is hard to see any
positive impacts, but even tragic experiences
can bring forth a good opportunity. Data
collected from hurricanes is crucial in the
future understanding of these storms. But
the data is also useful for planning around
the storms and defense from the storms.
With data collected from hurricanes along
the East Coast and Gulf Coast of the United
States, research was done to see which
coastline had the most intense hurricanes
With the use of statistical analysis a null
hypothesis was proposed, there will be no
difference in intensity between Gulf Coast
and East Coast hurricanes. The project used
wind speed as an indicator of intensity; the
research did not take other factors
associated with hurricanes, such as storm
surges and rain into account.
Background
Hurricanes are classified on the Saffir-
Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. This scale
breaks down the storms into five different
categories by using the sustained wind speed
of the storm. But before a storm is classified
as a hurricane, it first starts off as a tropical
disturbance. From there the storm becomes
a tropical depression and then a tropical
storm. Once the storm has sustained wind
speed of 64 knots, 74 mph, it is then a
hurricane.
The first and second levels of the Saffir-
Simpson Scale are a category one and two;
these can cause some damage to roofs and
trees. It isnt until hurricanes reach sustained
winds of 96 knots, 111 mph, that they are
considered major hurricanes. Category three
to category five hurricanes can cause
cataclysmic damage. The Saffir- Simpson
Scale only addresses damage done by wind
and does not allude to other hurricane
activity damages (Schott, Landsea, Hafele,
Lorens, Taylor, Thurm, Ward, Willis, &
Zaleski, 2012).
The development of hurricanes occurs over
the ocean. Typically in the waters near the
equator and the tropics, as hurricanes need
water temperatures of about 27 degrees
Celsius, 80 Fahrenheit, to form. Once the sea
surface temperature increases to 27 degrees
Celsius, the water begins to evaporate and
rise. As the warm water rises it eventually
hits dew point and rains back down causing
the rains associated with hurricanes.
Secondly, hurricanes need wind convergence
to form. For wind convergence to take place
an area of high pressure must meet with an
area of low pressure. Tropical disturbances
are low pressure systems, and when these
low pressure systems come in contact with a
high pressure system they increase wind
speed. Winds are subjective to the Coriolis
Effect, in which winds in the Northern
hemisphere deflect the right in a circular
pattern. Thus causing the spin of the storm,
while this spin is taking place air descends in
the center making the eye of the storm.
Hurricanes are unable to form if wind shear is
too strong. Wind shear is the difference
between the wind speed and direction over a
short distance. Too much wind shear will rip
a hurricane apart. Hurricanes need to
develop vertically, when too much wind
shear is added the hurricane will be forced to
spread out over a larger area. This will make
the storm weaken and eventually break
apart.
In the North Atlantic Basin, where the
hurricanes that were included in this study
were formed, hurricane activity is highly
It Came from the Sea: A Hurricane Comparison
by Krystal Warren
Source: NASA APOD
11
TEXAS STATE GEOGRAPHIC IT CAME FROM THE SEA | Issue 1 2


influenced by periods of El Nino and La Nina.
El Nino and La Nina are periods where sea
surface temperatures rise and fall
respectively. Hurricane development
increases during years of La Nina (Islam,
Merrell, Seitz, & Harriss, 2009, 138).La Nina
brings hurricanes while El Nino brings rain.
The indicator of El Nino and La Nina periods
is the change in atmospheric pressure at sea
level. The Southern Oscillation Index (SOI)
measures the large scale fluctuations of sea
level pressure changes in the tropical pacific.
This index is a precursor to years of El Nino or
La Nina; by taking the difference in
atmospheric sea level pressure at Tahiti and
Darwin, Australia, the index can then be
formed (NOAA, Southern Oscillation Index).
Data Collection
To collect data for this research the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations
Historical Hurricane Tracker was used, figure
1 (NOAA). The NOAAs Historical Hurricane
tracker allows the user to choose a location,
ocean basin, or name to locate hurricanes
around the world. Once a hurricane is chosen
one can then track the hurricane from origin
to end seeing the change in intensity
throughout the storms life span.
Three parameters were put into place for
hurricane data collection. Only hurricanes
between the years of 1920 to 2012 could be
used in the analysis. Secondly, storms had to
be at hurricane status at the time of landfall;
they could not have fallen to tropical storm
level or lower to be included in the study.
Thirdly, one storm could not hit the other
coast first. A storm could not hit the East
Coast and then hit the Gulf Coast.
Analysis
With these parameters in place thirty
hurricanes from either coast were chosen at
random to be used in analysis. For the
analysis three different statistical tests were
run on both coastline hurricane groups. First,
z-scores and confidence intervals were
calculated (Appendix A, Gulf Coast:
Appendix B, East Coast). After these results
were analyzed a third test was chosen to
answer the hypothesis.
To answer the question an independent t-
test at the .05 level was used on the data.
Using wind speed, calculated in knots, at
landfall of the hurricane, the data was
compiled into the equation. With the results
of the t-test, the null was rejected. With the
null hypothesis rejected it becomes clear that
hurricanes making landfall on the Gulf coast
are the more intense hurricanes.
Results
By rejecting the null, it was proven that
hurricanes along the Gulf Coast are more
intense, based on wind speed, than those
along the East Coast. These results could
seem insignificant at first glance, but these
findings hold quite a bit of importance.
These results can be used in quite a few
different ways.
Agriculture is affected greatly by climate
and weather. Knowing that hurricanes are
more intense on the Gulf Coast would help
farmers in those areas know what to plant.
A farmer would not want to plant corn in a
place of high winds, but could get away
with planting a low plant that wouldnt
blow down. Whereas farmers in areas
along the East coast know that hurricanes
will not be as intense along their coastline,
so they may be more inclined to plant corn.
Urban Planners will have a better
understanding of how to better design a city
knowing that hurricanes are more intense
along the Gulf Coast. Urban planners will
have a better sense of what materials to use
and building methods to better withstand
high winds. And Conservationists will have a
better idea of what coast to look towards
protecting. As they might want to check the
Gulf Coast for flora that could be going
extinct due to high winds during hurricane
season.
Conclusion
Even with all the research that has been
compiled on the subject, hurricanes are still
unpredictable storms that come from the sea
and can last for weeks. The research on this
topic will never be complete; with such an
unpredictable subject one can only make
guesses on the matter. This research shows
great insight, but also makes the researcher
remember the danger of such matters.
This project is a door opener to others in the
field. With changes to the parameters and to
the indicator of intensity, results could have
been very different. But continuing on with
wind speed as an indicator of intensity can
lead to other analysis of hurricanes along
both the East Coast and the Gulf Coast. But
the need for research on hurricane activity is
evident either way.




About the Author
Krystal Warren is a student at Texas State University. She is
studying for a Bachelors in Anthropology with a minor in
Geography. She is interested in the coastal regions and the
archaeological sites along them.
12

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TEXAS STATE GEOGRAPHIC IT CAME FROM THE SEA | Issue 1 3


Appendix A
A compilation of hurricane data from the
Gulf Coast including: name, year, category
(according to the Saffir-Simpson Scale), z-
score, wind speed at landfall (in knots), and
confidence interval.
Hurricanes Along the Gulf Coast
Hurricane Rank WS Z-score
Allen 1980 3 100 -0.016
Andrew 1992 4 120 0.922
Carla 1961 4 125 1.156
Betsy 1965 2 90 -0.484
Georges 1998 1 65 -1.656
Ivan 2004 3 105 0.219
Not Named 1929 1 70 -1.422
Rita 2005 3 100 -0.016
Wilma 2005 3 105 0.219
Audrey 1957 4 125 1.156
Bret 1999 3 100 -0.016
Carmen 1974 3 105 0.219
Ike 2008 2 95 -0.25
Gustav 2008 2 90 -0.484
Lili 2002 1 80 -0.953
Alicia 1983 3 100 -0.016
Dennis 2005 3 105 0.219
Dolly 2008 1 75 -1.188
Katrina 2005 5 150 2.328
Charley 2004 4 125 1.1563
Irene 1999 1 65 -1.656
Opal 1995 3 110 0.453
Chantel 1989 1 70 -1.422
Not Named 1932 4 125 1.156
Not Named 1945 4 120 0.922
Humberto 2007 1 80 -0.953
Not Named 1932 4 125 1.156
Edith 1971 2 85 -0.719
Kate 1985 2 85 -0.719
Fredric 1979 4 115 .8303
Confidence Intervals: 95%- 92.11, 105.90
99%- 89.92, 108.08

Appendix B
A compilation of hurricane data from the
East Coast including: name, year, category
(according to the Saffir-Simpson Scale), z-
score, wind speed at landfall (in knots), and
confidence interval.
Hurricanes Along the East Coast
Hurricane Rank WS) Z-score
Hugo 1989 2 85 -0.176
Isabel 2003 2 90 .1542
Gloria 1985 2 90 .1542
Floyd 1999 2 90 .1542
David 1979 2 85 -0.176
Irene 2011 1 75 -0.837
Jeanne 2004 3 105 1.146
Bonnie 1998 2 85 -0.176
Fran 1996 3 100 .8153
Bertha 1996 2 90 .1542
Bob 1991 2 85 -0.176
NN 1944 1 65 -1.498
Diane 1955 1 75 -0.837
Gracie 1959 3 105 1.146
Gaston 2004 1 65 -1.150
Connie 1955 1 70 -1.167
Cleo 1964 2 85 -0.176
King 1950 2 90 .1542
Hazel 1954 3 110 1.476
Diane 1984 1 80 -0.507
Able 1952 2 90 .1542
Dora 1964 2 95 .4848
Cindy 1959 1 65 -1.498
Carol 1954 2 85 -0.176
Edna 1954 1 80 -0.507
Barbara 1953 2 90 .1542
Ione 1955 1 65 -1.498
NN 1928 4 125 2.468
NN 1945 4 120 2.137
NN 1926 2 90 .1542
Confidence Intervals: 95%- 82.25, 93.09
99%- 80.54, 94.79

References
Astronomy Picture of the Day. (2005, August
29). Image. APOD: 2005 August
29. Retrieved April 17, 2014, from
http://apod.nasa.gov/apo
d/ap050829.html
Islam, T., Merrell, W., Seitz, W., & Harriss, R.,
(2009). Origin, distribution, and
timing of Texas hurricanes: 1851-
2006. Natural Hazards Review, 136-
144. doi: 10.1061/(ASCE) 1527-
6988(2009)10:4(136)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration. (n.d.). Historical
Hurricane Tracks. Retrieved April
22, 2014, from
http://www.csc.noaa.gov/
hurricanes/index.html?press=defau
lt%2Cdefault&scale=147914382&q
Type=ids&cats=default&mos
=default&ll=22%2E36500
0%2C14%2E588277&storms=1900
239N15318&years=default&sel=sel
ected#app=3935&88cd-
selectedIndex=1
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration. (n.d.). Southern
oscillation index (SOI). Retrieved
from
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/teleco
nnections/enso/indicators/soi.php
Schott, T., Landsea, C., Hafele, G., Lorens, J.,
Taylor, A., Thurm, H., et al. (2012,
February 1). . National Hurricane
Center. Retrieved , from
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/sshw
s.pdf


13

11
Where is the Best Place to Live in Aransas County?









































What is the cheapest RV
Park nearest to Nature
on the Texas coast?
Author: Sara Breit
Sara Breit is an Undergraduate Geography Student at
Texas State University located in San Marcos, Texas. Sara
hopes to graduate during the summer of 2016 with a GIS
Certificate and honors distinction. She enjoys water
sports such as fishing and scuba diving. Also, Sara likes
to volunteer with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
She currently lives in San Marcos with her pet rock,
Alfred. You may reach her at snb37@txstate.edu.

Aransas
County,
Texas, is home
to seagulls
and
snowbirds
(winter
Texans) alike!
14
What is the cheapest RV Park Nearest to Nature on the Texas Coast?

15

Background

I am an avid outdoorswoman who prefers to park her home near nature. When I say park of course, I mean
that I live in an RV full time, which in itself is an affordable and convenient living arrangement. This summer, I
was offered the chance to intern with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department down at their coastal region
division. I am familiar with the area, but I still needed a place to live!
I wanted to live in the same county that the regional office
was located since that would be home base, so I limited
my study area to Aransas County. Aransas County has
glorious beaches and fishing holes, is home to several
festivals and community celebrations, and is an ideal
destination for winter Texans. I wanted to know what all of
the RV Park options were for the county, as well as their
monthly space charges. Finally, I wanted to live in a park
that was as close to nature as possiblewithin 5000ft. GIS
was the perfect way to see all of my options, and be able to
narrow them down to a single perfect park.


Data Sources

Texas General Land Office, 2014. Species/Habitats along the Texas Coastline. http://www.glo.texas.gov/GLO/agency-
administration/gis/gis-data.html, accessed April 2, 2014.
Texas Tech Center for Geospatial Technology, 2007. Aransas County Boundary, Roads.
http://www.gis.ttu.edu/center/DataCatalog/Download.php?County=Aransas, accessed April 2, 2014.
ESRI Base Maps, 2014. Road System Map, Basemap. Accessed from ESRI Database, April 9, 2014.
Google Maps, 2014. Raw Data, RV Parks in Aransas County.
https://www.google.com/maps/search/RV+Parks+in+aransas+county/@28.0791595,-97.0256276,10z/data=!3m1!4b1,
accessed April 9, 2014.

15
Where is the Best Place to Live in Aransas County?

Methods

1) Gathered data on Aransas county boundary, roads, and wildlife species habitats
2) Switched layers and base maps to the same coordinate system and projection (Lambert Conformal
Conic)
3) Clipped base layer from ESRI to fit county boundary extent, also clipped species habitat extents to show
only those within the county
4) Created RV Park layer using Editor to show approximate locations of 34 RV Parks within the extent
(looked on Google Maps)
5) Ran Location queries to find Wildlife Habitats within 5000 feet of an RV Park
6) Created new layer from the 5000 feet selection, and ran another query from that selection to find the
cheapest RV Park
7) Created a separate layer highlighting that RV Park and its respective Habitat area

Results and Discussion

Based on my criteria, Seaport Village RV Park ended up being the wisest option. Its proximity to the nearest
wildlife area was 4527 feet, and it only charges $190 per month. Also, it is 11 minutes from the TPWD Office,
which wasnt a criteria but ended up being a benefit anyway. Overall I was very pleased with the result. If I
were to change the analysis somewhat, I would like to build a road map that could be a basis for building an
address locator to make the map even more useful. I would also collect field data on fishing holes and the
various types of fish one could catch at the area. Such information would be helpful to anglers and boaters
alike.

16
16
17

Ocelot, Photo from US Fish and Wildlife Service
Where is the safest place in
Texas to establish a new
National Wildlife Refuge for
the endangered Ocelot? Will
it have the correct habitat
vegetation and resources
required for long term shelter?
Background
The ocelot Leopardus pardalis is a medium-sized cat found
within the geographic range from southern Texas to northern
Argentina (Goulart et al. 2009). It is mostly recognized by
its distinct dappled coat that comes in various colors from
gray to a deep cinnamon brown. Unfortunately, due to the
ocelots highly coveted sleek coat the species was hunted to
near extinction for fur trade and was placed on the
endangered list in March 1972 (IUCN). And now the ocelot
is facing further impact due to the major threat of habitat loss
and fragmentation (IUCN). In the past, the ocelot population
flourished within the United States once ranging from
Arkansas to Arizona. The population now stands at around
80-120 individuals that are located in the southern-most
counties of Texas (Haines et al. 2005). Using information
gathered from various resources this project will propose
new areas for a new National Wildlife Refuge to be
established to help provide additional safe habitat regions.
Adequate vegetation for habitat is one of the essential
subjects to be covered and applied to maps first. Ocelots are
known to be a very reclusive and solitary species that prefer
dense vegetation to anything else (Goulart et al. 2009). The
dense cover not only provides protection but also thick
inaccessible areas for dens, and makes it easier on hunting
prey. There is a wide spectrum of habitats that the species
prefers over open fields such as coastal marshes, savanna
grasslands and pastures, thorn scrub, and tropical forest
(IUCN). Using a vegetation map of south Texas will help
pinpoint the correct vegetation (Mesquite, shrub, marsh and
oak) to place a new refuge within. Image 1 shows an
example of densely covered vegetation habitat that the
species prefers to live in.
The next subject to address is access to water. All animals
require water to survive, especially in hot climates such as
National Wildlife Refuges for the Endangered Ocelot Leopardus pardalis: A Proposal
by Sarah Reverman
18

south Texas. In fact, the Ocelot is one of the few cat species
that like water and will swim in it if it feels overheated
(Goulart et al. 2009). So another map that provides fresh
water sources such as springs, wells, and rivers should be
used as a factor for the new location of any refuge.
As mentioned before, habitat loss and fragmentation have
become the target threat for ocelots today. Roads serve as a
major habitat fragment factor, especially large highways that
require four lanes and a median. Not only does this obstacle
cut up the ocelots habitat but it also becomes a dangerous
for ocelots. Due to the species nocturno-crepuscular activity
ocelots do all of their hunting, feeding, and movement
during the dark hours of the day (IUCN). Ocelots will travel
over 20 miles to get from one territory to another (especially
males) in order to breed or claim territory. This migration
also occurs between the current Wildlife Refuges. So it is
not uncommon for an individual to cross a heavy traffic road.
Unfortunately this leads to a dangerous situation where
ocelots have been killed by high speed hits on highways
during the night. This should heavily influence where new
refuges will be established according to where roads are
located. A roads map will be useful in providing information
on areas to avoid contact.
Data
The data gathered for this final projected was collected in
various formats. Shapefiles and databases were found online
with free GIS digital download sites. Specifically the maps
were found through online services such as Texas Natural
Resource Information System, Texas Parks and Wildlife,
and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. Texas counties,
vegetation, rivers and streams, TxDOT roadways, and
National Wildlife Refuge boundaries maps were all
collected from free online sites to provide a complete map to
gather information from. All the general information on
Ocelot behavior, habitat, and range were found on online
journals, articles, and national wildlife informational sites.
Methods of Analysis
Figure 1: Represents the vegetation cover types and water sources for
Kenedy, Willacy, Cameron, Hidalgo and Starr Counties located in south
Texas.

19

Base map was created of the south Texas counties where the
range of the endangered ocelot is still documented. After
researching the specific vegetation types that ocelots use, a
select by attribute was run for the vegetation layer to select
the dense vegetation types (Mesquite, shrub, marsh and oak)
that would provide suitable habitat for ocelots. Ocelots
generally live only a couple miles from a water source, so a
2 mile buffer was created around each water source and then
clipped to the suitable habitat vegetation selection. The
clipped layer would result in usable habitat for an ocelot.
However there is still the danger of roads running through
these areas. A multiple ring buffer was produced around all
the roads in the four lower counties. The buffer rings showed
levels of danger in comparison with how close the area was
to the road. Anything within 1 mile would be too dangerous,
while any area within 6-20 miles of the road would be safer.
The ring buffer was then clipped to the suitable habitat with
water sources. From that new layer the areas that were in the
green safest region were selected as the final areas to be
proposed for new National Wildlife Refuge areas.
Conclusions
The results shown through the maps provided above show
areas that provide an answer to this projects question of
where the safest place to establish a new National Wildlife
Refuge for the endangered Ocelot would be. Figure 1 shows
a base map of the vegetation and water sources I had to work
with to select a suitable habitat for ocelots. A large portion
of that map consisted of crop land and urban areas that were
not suitable. Mostly the areas north of the crops and along
the coast were preferred habitat. Figure 2 shows the road
map and multiple ring buffer that would affect the suitable
habitat selection. The red zone represents danger of being
too close to busy roads and the green represents the safe
zones for a refuge. Lastly, Figure 3 gives the final answer of
were any refuge could be placed for suitable habitat, water
sources, and safety from road danger. However, due to the
Ocelots consistent travel between territories, the best
locations for any new refuge will most likely be within a few
miles a current refuge with little or no roads intersecting the
two refuges.

Figure 2: Represents road buffer rings in projected suitable habitat areas for
ocelots. Red establishes the highest danger zones that area one mile from a road,
orange is two miles, yellow is three miles and green is the safe zones that are 6-
20 miles from any road that runs through suitable habitat range.

20


References
TxDOT Roadways 2013 [polyline map]. Scale not given. Texas Natural Resource Information System.
http://www.tnris.org/get-data?quicktabs_maps_data=1. (April 10, 2014).
StratMap County Boundaries [polygon map]. Scale not given. Texas Natural Resource Information System.
http://www.tnris.org/get-data?quicktabs_maps_data=1. (April 10, 2014).
Rivers and Streams [polygon map]. [1:24,000]. Texas Natural Resource Information System. http://www.tnris.org/get-
data?quicktabs_maps_data=1. (April 10, 2014).
Vegpy [map]. [1:1,000,000]. GIS Lab Data Downloads. Texas Parks and Wildlife.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/land/maps/gis/data_downloads/. (April 10, 2014).
USFWS National Cadastral Data: Simplified Boundaries [map]. Scale not given. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services. USFWS
Geospatial Services. February 2014 http://www.fws.gov/gis/data/CadastralDB/index.htm (April 10, 2014).
Haines A. M., Tewes M. E., Laack L. L. (2005). Survival and Sources of Mortality in Ocelots. Journal of Wildlife Management.
69:255-263.
Goulart F. V., Graipel M. E., Tortato M. A., Ghizoni-Jr I. R., Rodrigues L. G., Caceres N. C.. (2009). Ecology of the Ocelot
(Leopardus Pardalis) in the Atlantic Faroest of Southern Brazil. Neotropical Biology and Conservation. 4:137-143.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Leopardus pardalis. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/11509/0 (April 29, 2014).
Figure 3: Reveals the final areas that are most suitable for ocelot re-introduction and the
safest areas that maintain a good distance from road danger or human impact. Bright
green areas show the best location for multiple new refuges or extensions of current
refuges.
21

Central Texas Motocross: A Locational Analysis
Brian Nieto
Introduction
Motocross (MX) is a popular sport across the
country and even around the world. Its a
physically and mentally demanding sport, and
its a suitable choice for those who like to stay
in shape with the rush of racing side-by-side
with ten or 20+ other racers. Its a great sport
for adrenaline junkies. Races tend to attract
racers, families, spectators, and sponsors all
with the desire to enjoy a good weekend of
racing. There are a variety of classes for
racers to participate in, ranging from beginner to expert and ages 5
to over 40. Just about anyone can race as long as you have the
correct safety gear.
There are two motocross tracks in the Austin area, two in the San
Antonio area and zero in the San Antonio-Austin corridor. None of
the tracks in Austin or San Antonio allow ATVs (all-terrain vehicle,
also known as a quad). Any quad racers that live in the Central
Texas area are out of luck, and they would have to travel between
150-200 miles to get to the nearest motocross track in either Waco
or Conroe, Texas.
As a quad racer
myself living in San
Marcos , I aim to find
the best location to
build a motocross
track near San Marcos
that caters to dirt bike
and quad riders.
Background
San Marcos is the Gateway to the
Hill Country. The Texas Hill Country
poses a problem for any new
motocross tracks in the area. To
build a successful motocross track,
you need an area that is not very
rocky, preferably an area with lots of
soft, permeable dirt. This means the
Hill Country, which is dominated by
the hard sedimentary rock limestone,
is not a suitable area to build a
motocross track. But that doesnt
mean you have to travel far to get away from
all of that limestone. After all San Marcos is
just Gateway to the Hill Country.
Comal, Guadalupe, Hays, and Caldwell
counties are used to find the best location for
an MX track. In this area, the soli type ranges
from limestone, sand, terrace, clay and mud,
fine-grained mixed clastic, gravel, shale, and
siltstone. Limestone, gravel, and shale are
too hard for an MX track. Equipment would
constantly break, and it would hurt to fall on
solid rock. Terrace areas are not suitable
because it is hard to build and maintain on
steep slopes. Sand, fine-grained mixed
clastic, and siltstone are softer but crumble
easily when packed making track
maintenance very difficult. The best geology
type to use for an MX track in our target area
is clay and mud. These soils are soft enough
to deter some injuries you could otherwise
get on a rocky track.
22

. Methods
Criteria:
o The track must be built in an area where the
primary geology is clay and mud and no
limestone.
o The track must be within 15 miles of San Marcos
or New Braunfels.
o The track must be within 1 mile of a highway.
I added the data for Texas counties, cities, and roads.
Selection by attributes was used to get Interstate, State,
and U.S. highways only and then create a new roads layer.
Hays, Comal, Guadalupe, and Caldwell counties were
selected.
The clip tool was used to get only the cities/towns and
roads in the four target counties.
The next step was to add the geology data for Texas. Then
I used the clip tool to get the geology data for the four
target counties.
From the geology attribute data, selection by attributes
was used to select geological areas that are primarily clay
or mud and a new layer was made from the selection.
Since geological data has primary and secondary geology
types, another selection by attributes on the clay and mud
layer was performed to get a new clay and mud layer with
no limestone as a secondary geology type.
A one mile buffer was made using the major roads layer.
Then the clip tool was used to get clay or mud areas within
one mile of a highway and our MX track sites.
Data Sources
Capital Area Council of Governments. Streets Centerlines base layers. 4/15/2014. http://www.capcog.org/data-maps-and-
reports/geospatial-data/
United States Geological Survey. Texas Geologic Map Data. 4/14/2014. http://mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state/state.php?state=TX
Image Trader at Landsat.com. Counties shapefile. 4/14/2014. http://www.landsat.com/texas-free-gis-data.html
National Atlas of the United States. Cities and Towns shapefile. 4/14/2014.
http://nationalatlas.gov/atlasftp.html?openChapters=#chptrans
23

Results and Discussion
After all the clipping and selecting, this final map shows the areas
best suited for an MX track in orange. Most of them are in
Guadalupe County with a few in Caldwell and in the east corner of
Hays. These areas fit the criteria, the primary geology type is clay
and mud and the secondary geology type is not limestone, they are
within 15 miles of San Marcos or New Braunfels, and they are within
one mile of a highway. Now that I have geological data of areas best
suited for an MX track some other things that I can do is find parcel
data for this area to locate what parcels lie within these potential
MX track sites and figure out what parcels are available or occupied.
A zoning layer can also be added, if available for the area, to
determine if commercial zones are within the potential MX track
sites or if a variance would be required.
References
Sandstone. Geoscience News and Information, Geology.com.
4/16/2014 http://geology.com/rocks/sandstone.shtml
Limestone. Geoscience News and Information, Geology.com.
4/16/2014 http://geology.com/rocks/limestone.shtml
Sand. Geoscience News and Information, Geology.com.
4/16/2014 http://geology.com/stories/13/sand/
Terrace (Geology). Wikipedia. 4/16/2014.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrace_%28geology%29
Clay or mud. U.S. Geological Survey. 4/16/2014.
http://mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state/sgmc-
lith.php?text=clay+or+mud
Glossary of Geologic Terms. Iowa State University. 4/16/2014.
http://www.ge-at.iastate.edu/glossary-of-geologic-terms/
Fine-grained mixed clastic. U.S.
Geological Survey. 4/16/2014.
http://mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state/sgmc-
lith.php?code=2.1.2
Gravel. Wikipedia. 4/16/2014.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravel
Shale. Geoscience News and
Information, Geology.com. 4/16/14.
http://geology.com/rocks/shale.shtml
Siltstone. About.com Geology.
4/16/14.
Siltstone. Geoscience News and
Information, Geology.com. 4/16/14.
http://geology.com/rocks/siltstone.shtml
Motocross Image from DeePop,
Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons
license





24

Fire Hydrant Distribution and Effectiveness in Luling, Texas

Fire at Monteys Bar, 2010, Luling, Image by Karen McCreary

Author: Kelly Royall

About the Author:
Mr. Royall is a student at Texas State Studying
Water Resources. He enjoys collecting maps
and developing new maps using GIS and is a
former volunteer firefighter for five years in the
Luling Volunteer Fire Department and South
East Caldwell Country Fire department.
Protecting Life and Property
Stepping off of the fire truck, you feel the heat bury itself on
the side of your face. You turn away and focus on your training
as you put on your air-pack. Cool air from the air pack soothes
your face as you drag the hose to the head of the fire. The hose
stretches in your gloved hands as it fills with water. You feel
your partner help maneuver the hose in position. The heat is
starting to push its way through your gear, and you feel your
body warming as you crack the nozzle on the hose-line. The
fire hisses and belches steam as the heat is converted to steam
by the water. Your life depends on the cool water flowing
through the hose, but most people ignore the little red lumps
of steel that line the road. While most aspects of firefighting
operations and technology have changed, the basic need to
supply water for a fire has not. Distance from a building to a
hydrant is key. Finding a water supply will even change the
route a fire truck will take to a scene in order to lay hose to the
fire from the closest hydrant to the fire. The balance between
the financial investment in infrastructure and protection is an
important debate for a city. The city of Luling (in Central
Texas) is growing and understands the need to balance
protection of life and property with the budget requirements
of a small town.
Background
Established in 1874 at the western stop of the Sunset Branch
on the Southern Pacific Rail Road. (Luling Chamber of
Commerce, 2006) A few years ago the city was only known for
the Luling Watermelon Thump and City Market BBQ. Now
when a local says Im from Luling the inquirers response is
Oh! Thats where the Buc-ees along I-10 is. If you still need
clarity on the location the city of Luling is a near the
intersection where Highway 183 and Interstate 10 meet. The
2010 Census showed the population of Luling to be 5,411 at
that time with a 2.7% growth rate. The city also has a variety
of hazards due to the energy sector, railroad, and major
highway intersections within the city limits. These hazards, in
some cases, are in close proximity to residential areas or near
major highways. The city of Luling is also expanding its
boundaries to include areas of proposed growth and
development of an industrial park. (John Westbrook, personal
communication, March 7, 2014). To meet the current
demands, the Luling Volunteer Fire Department has two Class
Base map, created by the Author




25

Fire Hydrant Distribution and Effectiveness in Luling, Texas
A fire engines and a 250 GPM Booster Truck. The two Class
A fire engines carry 1000 ft. of supply hose on each totaling
2000 ft. of five inch diameter hose. To use the full 2000 ft., a
truck has to act as a booster and use its pump to increase the
flow. The disadvantage for the use of two engines in this
manner is the loss of one engine to supply water, a reduction
in equipment on scene, and a redundant supply of water
available to the firefighters on scene. In ideal situations one
engine would be attached to a primary hydrant, and the other
would attach to a secondary hydrant. The secondary hydrant
would be on a different side of the plumbing loop. This
redundancy is best because a failure in a water main can be
isolated and water supply maintained on the scene. (Charles
Royall, personal communication, March 7, 2014) The Luling
Fire Department can work around most situations, but
developing an understanding of the fire hydrant locations and
the needs of the city is essential to planning. Looking at the
effectiveness of a water supply for fire suppression is
important to maintaining the safety of residents inside the city.

The purpose of this research is to provide the city
with the information to improve its current
infrastructure and understand what areas will have
to be addressed as the city grows. To answer this
question, these are the steps of analysis I took:
1. Added all the data for the base map including
Luling City Limits; Caldwell County Appraisal
districts extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ),
streets, and parcels; Guadalupe County
Appraisal Districts parcels and streets; and
Luling fire station location.
2. After inserting the data, the was checked datum
to insure they all matched: two of my data
sources were in NAD 1983 StatePlane Texas
South Central and the rest were in NAD 1983
StatePlane Texas Central; to insure consistency
the Rail Road and ETJ were converted to the
NAD 1983 StatePlane Texas Central using the
Project tool.
3. To set the Study Area, the ETJ and City limits
layers were selected only:
a) Using Select by location and choosing
only the Luling City limits, and the
Luling ETJ;
b) Compared the two data sets and
found out that they didnt line up
and large areas were missing;
c) Using the editor, the lines were
moved from the ETJ to align with
the City Limits which was a newer
map;
d) The union tool was used to join the
two maps and finally cleaned up with
the polygon editor.
4. To help with analysis, the Guadalupe and
Caldwell county streets and parcels were merged.
5. To reduce processing strain, the data was
clipped to the study area
6. Using the base map the parcels layer was
activated and all of the data except for the
parcels were clipped from the map;
a) A selection of only the parcels that
were a majority within the
boundaries of the study area was
performed to limit the parcels to the
study area.
b) A map of the parcels proximity to
the hydrants: simple Distance join
between the hydrants and parcels;
and the results were re-classified in
1000 ft., 2000ft., and 15,000ft.
increments to show the different
operation types
7. The subsequent map was created to display the
distance along the roads from the nearest
hydrants:
1. The study area and hydrant layers
were converted to raster to make the
analysis easier.
2. Due to the hydrants residing off of
the roads at various distances a 150
ft. buffer was added to the streets
layer to include as many of the
Criteria
1. Fire hydrants cannot be more than 2000 ft. from
each other for regular pumper operations within
the city limits.
2. The preferred length is 1000 ft. for one pumper
operations.
Parcel map, created by the author




26

Fire Hydrant Distribution and Effectiveness in Luling, Texas
hydrants as possible in the following
analysis.
3. A Cost Distance tool was used to
display the data which shows the
distance from the closest hydrant at
each point along each road in Luling.
Results and Discussion:
The purpose of this research is to provide the city with the
information to improve its current infrastructure and
understand what areas will have to be addressed as the city
grows. After developing maps showing the spatial relationships
of the fire hydrant placements. The distance between the fire
hydrants inside the city limits for a majority of the city is well
within the confines of this study. However, if you look at the
detailed map below labeled A there is an area along Highway
183 that will need to be addressed if the area grows. This area
can be supplied by two pumpers, but if a large fire or multiple
structures are involved more equipment will be needed to
adequately respond inside the city limits. Another area of
concern is also on the detailed map as Area: B. This map details
the area along Highway 80 on the West side of the city. In the
map there are a lot of residential buildings that require two
pumper and tender operations. While this area is inside the ETJ
the city is not required to supply utilities or hydrants, but as the
Base map shows there are hydrants outside the city limits and
inside the ETJ. If you compare the base map to satellite
imagery you see fewer houses in those areas. To better serve
the constituents of the city and those who reside inside the ETJ
additional hydrants should be added along Highway 80 as
budgeting permits.
Comparing the information seen In the parcels on map in the
methods section, these areas are on the edge of the city limits
and as they are annexed will need to be supplied with a hydrant
to meet the needs of the new citizens.
The final detailed area map on this page shows the intersection
of I10 and Highway 183. This area is the location of Buc-ees,
Loves Truck Stop, and a New Hotel. This area is probably
going to grow and will need to be evaluated by the city as well.
Careful consideration of the flood plain and level of interest in
businesses moving to that area of town to estimate the amount
of growth will be needed.
At the time of this analysis the data for the city water supply
was not complete and needed to be updated. (John Westbrook,
personal communication, March 7, 2014). This data would be
a key factor in the decision making process, because extending
or running a new waterline can be very costly. Also the study
could be further enhanced with the addition of pipeline routs,
because the fire department prefers to use two hydrants on
separate loops as discussed in the background. Finally, a study
should be performed to analyze the locations of the hydrants
along the major roads and compare them to houses along the
Harwood Fire with Bad Water Supply, 2009,
Image by Kelly Royall
Hydrant distance along the road, created by the author




27

Fire Hydrant Distribution and Effectiveness in Luling, Texas
road. If a house is on the opposite side of street from a hydrant
and too far from a hydrant on the same side. The fire
department would need to shut down a major road to lay a
hose across it. This would cause traffic congestion and increase
the risk for an automobile accident and put further strain on
the fire department. Making wise choices is importance to city
growth and having the right data provides more opportunity
for an informed decision
Data Sources:
Westbrook, J (2014, March 7). Provided data for hydrant
locations, Fire department location, and current city limits
Caldwell County Appraisal District, 2013, ETJ and Parcel
information made available by Mr. Westbrook, March 7, 2014
Guadalupe County Appraisal District, 2013, Parcel and streets
data made available by Mr. Westbrook, March 7, 2014
Capital Area Council of Governments, 2010, Railroads, Cities,
http://data.capcog.org/Information_Clearinghouse/data/rail
roads/railroads_shp.zip , Last Accessed March 7, 2014
United States Department of Interior, 2012, US States, US
Roads, US Counties,
http://www.nationalatlas.gov/atlasftp.html?openChapters=c
hpbound%2Cchptrans#chptrans, Last Accessed April 25,
2014


References:
Royall, K. (2014, March 7). Personal interview of John
Westbrook. City of Luling Mapping and Zoning Coordinator.
Royall, K. (2014, March 7). Personal interview of Charles
Royall. Luling Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief.
Luling Chamber of Commerce. 2006. History,
http://www.lulingcc.org/history.htm - Last accessed April 29,
2014
28

Apartment Hunters San Marcos

Texas State University is located in the
heart of San Marcos, Texas. The University
comprises 457 acres of hilly land along the San
Marcos River. It is the fifth largest university in the
state of Texas and boasts an enrollment of over
35,000 students as of the fall 2013 semester. Close to
80% of these students live in off campus housing.
When searching for the right apartment complex,
there are two major factors that influence a students
decision- the cost of rent and its proximity to campus.
Most students want to spend the least amount of
money, but have the easiest access to campus. My
research study aims to address this situation. Does an
apartment complexs proximity to the Texas State
University campus have an effect on the cost of rent?
The null hypothesis is that there is no relationship
between an apartments distance from campus and
the cost of rent.
In order to answer this question, I chose 24
different apartment complexes around the city and
found the average cost of rent at each location. For
the apartment selection, I made sure to choose
apartments from multiple areas of San Marcos and
various distances from the Texas State campus. Once
I had an evenly distributed group of apartments, I
utilized
various
apartment
search
websites to
obtain the
prices of a one, two, and three bedroom apartment at
the complex. For the two and three bedroom
apartments, I found the cost of rent per bedroom. To
get the data that was used, I found the overall price
for each apartment complex by finding the average of
the one, two, and three bedroom prices. I also needed
to find the distances of each complex from a
centralized location on campus. To do this, I found
the address for each apartment complex and used
Google Maps to get the distance in miles. I inserted
the prices and the distance for each complex in an
Excel spreadsheet.
I also used the apartment addresses and
plotted them on a regional map of San Marcos in
order to show the spatial distribution.
Excel spreadsheet with apartment cost and distance from
the Texas State campus.

By: Kelsey Dennis
Senior Urban and Regional Planning
student at Texas State University.
29

The first method of analysis I conducted was
finding the z-scores of the different samples. I found
the average of the prices of the complexes by adding
them together and dividing by 24- the number of
samples in the data set. I then used the average to
find the standard deviation of the data
set using the formula
By finding the average and the standard deviation, I
was able to use the values to find the
z-score from the formula
Next, I found the confidence intervals
at 95% and 99%. Again, I used the average value and
the standard deviation and plugged them into the
formula. For the 95% confidence interval test, I used
a z-value of 1.96 and for the 99% test, I used a z-
value of 2.58. Lastly, I chose to run a linear
regression test. I chose this statistical test because I
am testing for a relationship between two variables-
price and distance. I used Excel to formulate a
regression line and find the r-value and p-value.
With interpreting z-scores, I am estimating
how likely it is to occur in a sample of data. For
example, the first z-score that was calculated at 0.54.
Because it is positive, it is referring to the area to the
right of the mean on a graph. Using a z-table, I was
able to determine that 21% of all the scores in the
distribution fall in this area. The next test that was
conducted was the confidence interval test. I found
that there is a 95% chance that the cost of an
apartment will be between $553.45 and $646.39.
Likewise, there is a 99% chance that the cost will be
between $538.76 and $661.08. For the last test, I was
able to find an r value of 0.383. I also found the p-
value to be 0.001649. In reference to r values, the
higher the value, the better the model fits your data.
A p-value is an observed significance level. It
provides the likelihood that the results are real and
did not occur by chance. The p-value of 0.001649
means that there is a 99.998 percent chance that the
relationship between cost and distance is real. In the
graph of the linear regression line, distance is the
independent variable and is found along the x-axis.
The price per apartment is the dependent variable and
is located along the y-axis.


Because of the r-value and the linear
regression line, the data shows that there is a
relatively strong negative relationship between the
cost of an apartment and its proximity to the Texas
State University campus. Therefore, I can reject my
null hypothesis that there is no relationship between
an apartments distance from campus and the cost of
rent. The results have shown that there is in fact a
relationship between the two. As the distance from
campus increases, the cost to rent an apartment
decreases. There are some opportunities for further
research. One could conduct this study for other
university campuses across the United States. This
would offer more data and help to give more precise
results. Another option is to conduct the study in a
larger city. This can provide for a larger sample.

Location of apartment complexes.
Z-scores for each complex and their corresponding
distributions.
Graph of linear regression.
Spatial Analysis of Marketing Focus for Shell Rotella SuperRigs Event
30



Shell Rotella SuperRigs 2014: Located in beautiful Charlotte North
Carolina (Photo courtesy of Shell)

Spatial Analysis of
Marketing Focus for
Shell Rotella
SuperRigs Event



AUTHOR
Geography has many focuses which allow
individuals to study the world around us in
spatial terms. With the advent of GIS, and the
even more recent surge of ArcGIS software,
Geographers are beginning to find not only a
new way to quantitate their data and express
it for others to view, but completely new
avenues with which they can represent their
work.
Such is the case in this article,
as the author will seek to
follow an avenue most
geographers wouldnt even
consider in a spatial analysis
and statistics study; by giving
an in depth look into
marketing. Marketing, while
seemingly more tied to
business, has become an
essential crux of the GIS field,
as it is essential for big
businesses to use the
technology in order to find
which customers to cater to,
and where.
With that being said, the
question the author asked
was a relatively
straightforward one: where would a postal
marketing campaign aimed at specifically
class-8 big rig drivers be most prudent and
efficient? More particularly, what area
outside of Charlotte Motor Speedway (where
the event is located) has the highest
concentration of addresses registered to
truck drivers? In the name of efficiency, the
author specifically sought to analyze those
only registered in a 100-mile radius around
the track (which is located in Concord, NC),
as these would be the most likely to visit the
event due to time constraints and money.

About the Author
Jacob Waterman is a
senior at Texas State
University with a major
in Geography, a minor
in International
Studies, and working
towards certification in
GIS. Jacob has traveled
to multiple countries in
the world, and most of
the contiguous U.S., all
of which has
fostered a
love for all
things
geography.
He hopes to gain relevant work in
an NGO, or the State Department
upon graduation not only to utilize
the skills hes learned in GIS, but to
satisfy his urge to travel and
discover new cultures.
The Question
One of the many trucks to be
judged at the beauty contest last
year in Tomah, WI. (Photo
courtesy of Popular Mechanics)
Spatial Analysis of Marketing Focus for Shell Rotella SuperRigs Event 31


31


The Shell Rotella SuperRigs event is a
yearly event sponsored by the Shell Oil
Company which seeks to not only celebrate
big rig truck drivers, but also to allow them
to compete in a truck beauty contest for
prizes, as well as for the enjoyment of the
general public who comes to spectate the
event. There are a variety of different
events in which contestants can compete in,
running on for 3-4 days in congruence with
free concerts, vendor booths, parades, and
even fireworks.
For 2014, the event was chosen to be held
in early May in Concord, North Carolina (it
changes locations each year) at the revered
Charlotte Motor Speedway, in congruence
with the NASCAR event being held at the
same time. Since the author of this projects
father runs the entire event, and since the
author has worked in the event for the past
4 years alongside him, it seemed only
logical to connect the project and event
together not only to have a project with
actual relevance, but also to potentially
allow Shell to consider in real time when
sending out an actual marketing campaign.
While SuperRigs draws competitors and
spectators from all across the nation, and
even Canada, a good portion of the
participants are from the general region of
the event, and even more so, from the state
which it is located in, making the targeting of
North Carolinian truck drivers that much
more essential.
By using spatial analysis in marketing terms,
one adds a whole new dimension to the
study of GIS. In the analyzation of marketing
demographics through GIS, companies can
save thousands of dollars that would
otherwise be spent on in-efficient marketing
strategies. Below, the author will illustrate
the steps with which to glean the most
practical area to focus a campaign on.
Data Sources
North Carolina Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, 2002. Zip Code Tabulations.
http://data.nconemap.com/geoportal/catalog/search/resource/details.page?uuid=%7B1E6E1378-FC62-48E8-8623-9BFFC9407AC4%7D,
accessed April 10, 2014.
IHS Automotive (driven by Polk) . Class-8 Registrants in 100 Miles of Charlotte Motor Speedway. https://www.polk.com/, accessed April
9, 2014.
NOTE: SuperRigs is a registered trademark of the Royal Dutch Shell Corporation.

Background

Spatial Analysis of Marketing Focus for Shell Rotella SuperRigs Event 32


32

Utilizing the following steps:
1. We add data for zip-code
basemaps for North Carolina,
create a layer that encompasses
ZIP codes within the 100-mile
range of Charlotte Motor
Speedway (CMS), and add in the
registrant data from Excel to
ArcMap.
2. We join the Excel data to the zip-
code layer so we may analyze
concentration.
3. We set the point for CMS via the
edit function in zip code 28027
(where its located) in order to do a
buffer analysis of up to 75 miles.
4. We plot the points in the edit
function in areas with at least 300
truck registrants (see map above)
and perform a nearest neighbor
test in order to ensure that the
distribution of drivers is not
randomly dispersed, ensuring that
a marketing campaign will be
successful.
5. We then perform a Getis-Ord G*
test in order to determine exactly
where the highest concentration of
truck drivers are located.
6. Based on this, if all the tests are
concurring, we inference the area
which has the greatest
concentration and is in the
inclusion radii.
With all of these tests ran together, we can
ensure that we not only choose the area with
the highest average number of registrants,
but also with the highest density. It should be
noted that some polygons are empty due to
a lack of data and/or registrants in the ZIP-
code.

Methods
Map Showing Registered Zip Codes in 100-Mile Zone Which Contain at Least 300 Class-8 Registered Drivers
Spatial Analysis of Marketing Focus for Shell Rotella SuperRigs Event
33

Based on the buffer analysis, the author
immediately gleaned that the highest
average number of class-8 truck drivers was
the highest within the 25-mile radius of
Charlotte Motor Speedway. However, this
alone does not necessarily indicate the best
range for the marketing campaign, as it can
be expected that the smaller the radius, the
higher the concentration/average. As you go
out into larger radii, it can only be expected
that the number will decrease. As such, while
a good starting point for the analysis shows
that the latter two tests are still necessary.
Next, with the results of the nearest neighbor
test, the z-score was found to be 2.49, which
meant that the zip-codes with over 300
registrants were fairly evenly dispersed, and
as such, the author could safely say that a
marketing campaign would be more efficient
than it would be if the points were randomly
dispersed in the 100-mile zone (though not
as effective if they were clustered).
With the knowledge that the points were
fairly evenly dispersed, the author then
sought to discover which points were, at the
least, closest to each other in the zone.
Through the Getis-Ord G* (otherwise
known as Hot Spot analysis), one can view
that the largest
cluster of class-8
truck drivers
registered in North
Carolina lies in the
northeast portion
of the 100 mile
zone (based on the
largest amount of
zip codes with a
GiZ Score under
the standard
deviation of 2.58).
With all this
analysis, the author
came to the
conclusion that for
a marketing
strategy aimed at
class-8 truck
drivers in the
general 100 mile
area around
Charlotte Motor
Speedway, the
best zone of attack
(so to speak) would be in the northeast
portion of this zone. While it can be granted
that truck drivers do travel often and are not
necessarily at home to benefit from the
strategy, the mere fact that so many have
registered addresses in this area, compared
to the rest, gives advent to the belief that the
families of the drivers can still be effected by
the campaign. Word-of-mouth is a powerful
tool, and if one family goes, then multiple
others can be influenced in the
process. While a mailing
campaign in the 25-mile radius
would seem more effective on
the surface due to the buffer
analysis, the author once again
goes to the concept of
efficiency and advises that in
an area that small, a more viral
campaign (such as posters,
billboards, etc.) would be more
suited, while the cluster in the
north-east be the true target of
a mailing campaign.



Results and Discussion
Given the z-score of 2.49, there
is a less than 5% likelihood that
this dispersed pattern could be
the result of random chance.
Hotspot Analysis of Class-8 Registered
Driver in 100-Mile Zone
34

TEXAS STATE
GEOGRAPHIC
SPRING 2014


In the German province of Schleswig-Holstein, in the Gottorf castle in the former capital city of
Schleswig, there is a recreation of an 18
th
century globe. The Globe House (Globushaus) sits in the
first terraced garden in northern Europe, and the globe looks out over the garden and towards the
Baltic Sea.
The globe is large large enough to climb inside where one can view the celestial sphere of stars and
constellations as the globe turns. Its a magnificent work of art and technology, and it represents the
culmination of the worlds geographical knowledge in the 18
th
century.
Today, in the 21
st
century, geographers have expanded our craft to employ todays modern earth-
turning technologies satellites, GPS, GIS, and the Internet. Whether its finding the ideal place to
live or protecting habitat for wildlife, geographers continue to work to solve todays pressing world
problems. Weve been pleased to bring you the work of the next generation of geographers those
whose crafts will continue to expand our knowledge of the world and our place in it.

The recreated Globe in Schleswig. OPPOSITE: Tycho Brahes model globe. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)