The San Marcos springs have flowed for around ten million years. In 
this ode to the river they form, Jim Kimmel brings us a picture of a 
watercourse brimming with life, past and present. Native, non-native, 
prehistoric, and modern-day plants, animals, and people have 
inhabited the river and its banks. Kimmel touches on them all with 
the affectionate and knowledgeable voice of one whose own life has 
been closely linked to the San Marcos.

    As readers journey with Kimmel from the river's headwater 
springs to its junction with the Guadalupe River, The San Marcos: 
A River's Story will capture the imagination and provide valuable 
information about the river and its crucial role in the ecological 
health of Texas. Original photographs by Jerry Touchstone Kimmel 
add a sense of the beauty and complexity of the river.

_________________________________________________________

JIM KIMMEL is professor of geography and Jesse H. and Mary 
Gibbs Jones Professor of Southwestern Studies at Texas State 
University. He directs the university's Center for Nature and Heritage 
Tourism, which he conceived and founded. He lives in San Marcos.


River Books, sponsored by the River Systems Institute at Texas 
State University


What people are saying about this book

“What do mastodons, treed Gypsy bears, Texas wildrice, blind 
salamanders, and Ralph the Swimming Pig have in common? They 
are all part of the history of the San Marcos River, an iconic river in 
Central Texas. Jim Kimmel’s affectionate and detailed text and his 
wife Jerry’s beautiful photos bring to life the natural and cultural 
history of a river whose headwaters are thought to be the site of 
some of the oldest human settlements—12,000 years old—on the 
North American continent.”—Journal of the Botanical Research 
Institute of Texas, Summer 2007

"The written description combined with the beautiful photography 
will make the reader wish for a brilliantly sunny summer day to refresh 
in the clear water of the San Marcos."—Texas Outdoors Journal, 
December 2006

"The story mirrors that of the nation as people view the river across 
time, as a trail or transportation, a location for rest and recreation 
(in its broadest sense), a workhorse to be tamed and put into service, 
and a mysterious and wonderful system whose physical and 
biological processess have produced and should be allowed to 
continue to produce and nurture such a unique and diverse biota."
—Frances Gelwick, Texas A&M University Department of Wildlife 
and Fisheries Sciences

"The San Marcos River is important to our community, and has been 
for generations. Our crystal clear river has been home for 
civilizations even before our time. It is such a delight to have the 
river stories that so many locals have stored away in their memories 
written down in a book, so that they are not lost or forgotten. No 
matter where they are from, readers will love this most enjoyable book. 
Some of the science involved in aquifers and rivers is also explained 
in between the stories, which helps with understanding the stories. I 
hope it also helps educate  people about the need to take care of 
this river, so it will be here for future generations."—Dianne Wassenich, 
Executive Director, San Marcos River Foundation

"In the heat of a Texas summer, readers tantalized with thoughts 
of cool water can do no better than dive into this book. The San 
Marcos River is cultural and environmental history at its finest. 
Kimmel's narrative—like the fast current of the river itself—carries 
the reader downstream on a wonderful voyage of mystery, discovery, 
and pleasure. . . . This revered river, its gushing springs, its verdant 
beauty, and its intensely human dimension, has now found the 
eloquent spokesman so long needed."—John Miller Morris, author of 
El Llano Estacado