Jollyville Jewel Cave is a long narrow cave which gets very deep further along. Measurements for the depths of this cave are unknown. Most of the cave is filled with rocks and darkness.
Small accumulations of Rhadine n.s. (Rhadine persephone) have been confirmed to inhabit Jollyville Jewel Cave. No ground beetles inhabit this cave either. Tooth Cave ground beetles have not been confirmed. This cave is considered despite listed as potential habitat for the species in spite of not have any endangered species nor have any been found on government reports. The USFWS database lists Jollyville Jewel Cave as a karst feature. (Ref: https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/Documents/R2ES/LitCited/4TX_Sal/HNTB_2005_Tooth_Cave_ground_beetle_summary.pdf)
This was reported during a cursory biological study of Jollyville Jewel Cave conducted by Texas Cave Management Association (TCMA). Jollyville Jewel Cave does not contain any endangered species nor have any been found on government reports. (Ref: https://www.tcmacaves.org/download/87/capital-caver/2053/the-capital-caver-1.pdf)
There are two entry points for this cave. One entry point of Jollyville Jewel Cave is located at the address of 11586 Jollyville Road. This entry point is located southbound in the very back behind an apartment complex and is surrounded by fences. Only a narrow crawl space remains as all other entry points and access points have been filled in with rocks. This cave located on undeveloped land. (Ref: https://digital.lib.usf.edu/SFS0054742/00001)
Supposedly Jollyville Jewel Cave connects to another cave called Can Cave which is located west of Jollyville Jewel Cave on undeveloped land. There is a high possibility that these caves might connect to each other. The entry point is located southbound in the very back behind an apartment complex and is surrounded by fences. Only a narrow crawl space remains as all other entry points and access points have been filled in with rocks. The entry for Can Cave located at the address of 11586 Jollyville Road, Austin, Texas, US 78759.
Below is the history of Jollyville Jewel Cave.
Jollyville Jewel Cave dates back to 10,000 BC when the area along with Texas was all natural and surrounded by vegetation. Overtime limestone coagulations have formed inside of this cave giving the cave a natural look. Hard rock sediment can be found all over.
Prior to 1935, J.W. Robertson, Dorothea Nell Gibson, Barbara Kay Jordan, and David L. Tisinger claimed property around Jollyvile Jewel Cave as their homestead. David L. Tisinger owned the property where Jollyvile Jewel Cave was located on as he was the person who owned all the land before anyone else did. (Ref: Travis County Public Records, Volume 1993, Page 157)
David
L. Tisinger was well aware of the caves that surrounded his property.
He never filled in any of the caves. Only very few people knew about
these caves. David L. Tisinger and J.W. Robertson sold the property to a man named Henry M. Streety (Henry Mack Streety, Jr.) on the date of 5/10/1977 through a warranty deed. Henry M. Streety owned this land for several years. (Ref: http://propaccess.traviscad.org/clientdb/Property.aspx?prop_id=160183)
In 1991, USFWS concurred that development of the tract containing Jollyville Jewel Cave would not adversely impact the cave if a suite of protective measures were enacted. This might have lead homeowner Henry M. Streety to fill the entry point of Jollyville Jewel Cave.
The protective measures identified in the 1991 USFWS file and City of Austin real estate records include dedicating an approximately 60-m by 80-m (about 1.20 acres) conservation easement around the cave entrance and allowing this area to remain undeveloped and in a relatively natural state. Additional protective measures included creating a berm to divert potentially tainted runoff from entering the cave, limiting potentially harmful activities or facilities up-slope of the cave entrance, and constructing a gate at the cave entrance. Development around this property has surrounded the southern portion of this cave. Development has not adversely impacted the cave despite urban sprawl. (Ref: USFWS files, 1991)
At that time, USFWS files listed Jollyville Jewel Cave as being located at 11570 Jollyville Road. However another cave was found at the address of 11586 Jollyville Road. This cave could lead or could have led to Jollyville Jewel Cave at one point in time. Property containing Jollyville Jewel Cave is described in USFWS files as located at 11570 Jollyville Road and 11586 Jollyville Road.
Henry M. Streety filled the entry point and access points to Jollyville Jewel Cave that were on his property in 1993. He had the entry point filled as one of the protective measures suggested by USFWS. This limited harmful activities that could occur to this cave in the future.
City of Austin real estate records from 1993 include dedicating an approximately 60-m by 80-m (about 1.20 acres) conservation easement around the cave entrance and allowing this area to remain undeveloped and in a relatively natural state. This included a 1.474 drainage easement near a gated apartment complex. (Ref: ftp.austintexas.gov/GIS-Data/PWD/RealEstate/3110.150.pdf)
Henry M. Streety owned this land for several years until his death. The land was sold on a death certification to his wife Yvonne W Streety on the date of 2/9/2014. Yvonne W Streety sold this land to Jollyville HQ LLC on a warranty deed in 2019.
As of May 2020, Jollyville HQ LLC has put up the property for an undisclosed price on a white billboard facing Jollyville Road. They are currently looking for buyers who are interested in purchasing this land. Jollyville HQ LLC has not advertised this land for sale very much though.
Today Jollyville HQ LLC owns the Jollyville Jewel Cave property while the City of Austin owns the easements.
Jollyville Jewel Cave is located at 11586 Jollyville Road, Austin, Texas, US 78759 and 11570 Jollyville Road, Austin, Texas, US 78759.
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