Editing Presidio County, Texas (section)

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|3856|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|3855|sqmi}} are land and {{convert|0.7|sqmi}} (0.02%) is covered by water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web |url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_48.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 6, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}</ref> It is the fourth-largest county in Texas by area.

Presidio County is triangular in shape and is bounded on the east by [[Brewster County, Texas|Brewster County]], on the north by [[Jeff Davis County, Texas|Jeff Davis County]], and on the south and west for {{convert|135|mi|km|0}} by the [[Rio Grande]] and Mexico. [[Marfa, Texas|Marfa]], the county seat, is {{convert|190|mi|km|0}} southeast of El Paso and {{convert|150|mi|km|0}} southwest of Odessa. The center of the county lies at 30°30' north latitude and 104°15' west longitude.

Geographically, Presidio County comprises {{convert|3857|sqmi|km2|0}} of contrasting topography, geology, and vegetation.

In the north and west, clay and sandy loam cover the rolling plains known as the Marfa Plateau and the Highland Country, providing good ranges of grama grasses for the widely acclaimed Highland Herefords.

In the central, far western, and southeastern areas of the county, some of the highest mountain ranges in Texas are found. These peaks are formed of volcanic rock and covered with loose surface rubble. They support desert shrubs and cacti and dominate a landscape of rugged canyons and numerous springs. The spring-fed Capote Falls, with a drop of {{convert|175|ft|m|0}}, the highest in Texas, is located in western Presidio County.

In the southern and western parts of the county, the volcanic cliffs of the Candelaria Rimrock (also called the Sierra Vieja) rise perpendicular and run parallel to the river, separating the highland prairies from the desert floor hundreds of feet below them. The gravel [[pediment]], which allows only the growth of desert shrubs and cacti, extends from the Rimrock to the flood plain of the river.

Along the Rio Grande River, irrigation allows the farming of vegetables, grains, and cotton. No permanent streams exist in the county, although many arroyos become raging torrents during heavy rainfalls. Major arroyos are Alamito Creek, Cibolo Creek, Capote Creek, and Pinto Canyon. San Esteban Dam was built across Alamito Creek about {{convert|10|miles|km}} south of Marfa and on the site of a historic spring-fed ''[[tinaja]]'' in 1911 as an irrigation and land-promotion project.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.twdb.texas.gov/surfacewater/rivers/reservoirs/plates/rio_grande/existing/san_esteban.pdf |title=San Esteban Dam and San Esteban Lake (Sometimes spelled San Estaban) |date=1969 |work=Texas Water Development Board |access-date=May 4, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.twdb.texas.gov/publications/reports/bulletins/doc/B6408.pdf |title=Dams and Reservoirs in Texas, Historical and Descriptive Information |date=July 1964 |work=Texas Water Development Board |first=C. L. |last=Dowell |access-date=May 4, 2024}}</ref> The reservoir lake is a source of water for irrigation. Tinaja refers to a depression in the land formed by water flow from a spring, or under a waterfall. In this arid county, it is due to the spring. [[Capote Falls]], which is formed by Capote Creek, is the tallest waterfall in the state.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/travel/forgotten-places/|title=Forgotten Places|first=Griffin|last=Smith&nbsp;Jr.|work=[[Texas Monthly]]|date=July 1974|access-date=December 21, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208005139/https://www.texasmonthly.com/travel/forgotten-places/|archive-date=February 8, 2023|url-status=live|url-access=registration}}</ref>

Altitudes in the county vary from {{convert|2518|to|7728|ft|m|0}} above sea level. Temperatures, moderated by the mountains, vary from {{convert|33|°F|°C|abbr=on}} in January to {{convert|100|°F|°C|abbr=on}} in July. Average rainfall is  {{convert|12|in|mm|sigfig=2}} per year, mainly in June, July, and August. The growing season extends for 238 days.

Natural resources under production in 1982 were perlite, crushed rhyolite, sand, and gravel. Silver mining contributed greatly to the economy of the county from the 1880s to the 1940s. Presidio County has no oil or gas production.

===Major highways===
* [[Image:US 67.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 67 in Texas|U.S. Highway 67]]
* [[Image:US 90.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 90 in Texas|U.S. Highway 90]]
* [[Image:Texas 17.svg|20px]] [[Texas State Highway 17|State Highway 17]]

===Adjacent counties and ''municipios''===
Presidio County's unusual shape has it facing more of Mexico than the rest of the United States. The county is bounded on the east by Brewster County, on the north by Jeff Davis County, and on the south and west for {{convert|135|mi|km|0}} by the Rio Grande and Mexico. Along the international border, the county faces the Manuel Benavides and Ojinaga Districts of the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, on the south side, and the municipality of Guadalupe of the State of Chihuahua, Mexico, on its southwestern side.
* [[Hudspeth County, Texas|Hudspeth County]] (northwest)
* [[Jeff Davis County, Texas|Jeff Davis County]] (north)
* [[Brewster County, Texas|Brewster County]] (east)
* [[Manuel Benavides Municipality]], [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]], [[Mexico]] (south)
* [[Ojinaga Municipality]], [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]], [[Mexico]] (southwest)
* [[Guadalupe Municipality, Chihuahua|Guadalupe Municipality]], [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]], [[Mexico]] (west)