MWA Cave is one of the lesser known secluded caves of Austin, Texas. Only so much information can be found out about MWA Cave. This news article will explain what MWA Cave is. This news article will explain the biology, nature, and history pertaining to MWA Cave. MWA Cave is also known as M.W.A. Cave.
MWA Cave is a cave with 3 entrances. Each entrance consists of a solid-walled vertical shaft which extends vertically for 30 feet to open plane bedding rooms. MWA Cave is known for having moist soil and clay floors. The moist soil gives clay slick features. Several rigid rock joints are visible throughout the cave. There is another entrance which leads to a 12 foot drop that vertically leads to a 15 foot drop leading to a pit. MWA Cave is connected by a few pits. These pits are connected to and related to MWA Cave. These pits lead to subsurface drainage basins inside of the cave. (Ref: The Caves of the Balcones Conservation Plan, 1996)
This cave is known for having rough rigid geological features such as limestone and granite. Among the geological features are calcite and clay. MWA Cave contains numerous karst features due to being on property located within the Jollyville Plateau KFR. (Ref: https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/Documents/R2ES/LitCited/4TX_Sal/HNTB_2005_Tooth_Cave_ground_beetle_summary.pdf)
[The property is located within the Jollyville Plateau KFR and contains numerous karst features including six caves (Disbelievers Cave, Japygid Cave, Jollyville Plateau Cave, MWA Cave, Puzzle Pit Cave, Twisted Elm Cave) that are confirmed collection sites for Tooth Cave ground beetles. The HCP created in support of permit issuance (hereafter, Four Points HCP; USFWS 1995) calls for the preservation of a 52-acre “high density cave area” containing six caves or prominent karst features including four of the Tooth Cave ground beetle confirmed collection sites (Table 6.5).]
MWA Cave contains the endangered Texella reyesi (Bone Cave Harvestman). The endangered Texella reyesi has been known to inhabit this cave. MWA Cave is one of 3 caves that contain T. reyesi. Tooth Cave ground beetles and the Kretschmarr Cave mold beetle have been confirmed to inhabit MWA Cave. It is confirmed that Tooth Cave ground beetles, Kretschmarr Cave mold beetle, and Bone Cave harvestman are within the 52-acre preserve of the Four Points HCP. The Tooth Cave pseudoscorpion is confirmed to live in this cave. (Ref: https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/Documents/R2ES/HCP_TPGFourPoints_19951113.pdf)
“[t]his area contains a total of five caves (Owl Eyes, Japygid, Eluvial, Fernpit,
M.W.A. and Jollyville) known to be inhabited by Tooth Cave ground beetle
(four caves) and/or Bone Cave harvestman (three caves).”
This statement is confusing for several reasons. The parenthetic list includes six caves, not five as stated, and only three of those caves (Japygid, Jollyville Plateau, and MWA caves), not four as stated, were considered Tooth Cave ground beetle caves. Based on review of maps in the Four Points HCP, it appears that 4 caves (Disbelievers, Japygid, Jollyville Plateau, and MWA caves) confirmed to support Tooth Cave ground beetles are within the 52-acre preserve. The Balcones Canyonlands Preserve karst management 2003 annual report (Travis County and COA 2004a) list these four caves as within a common preserve. (Ref: Balcones Canyonlands Preserve karst management 2003 annual report)
“These caves were named MWA Cave, Eluvial Cave, Jollyville Plateau Cave, Disbelievers Cave, Japygid Cave, and Puzzle Pits Cave. Two of these caves, MWA and Japygid, may also contain other listed species. Another four caves, Owl Eyes Cave, Fern Pit, Twisted Elm Cave, and Contortionist Cave, were considered to contain potential habitat for endangered cave invertebrates, although none was found during biota collections. Remaining features were considered insignificant with respect to endangered cave invertebrates.”
There have been times when MWA Cave has been carpeted with fire ants. Fire ant infestations have made this cave unbearable to enter. MWA Cave has had several fire ant infestations throughout the history of time. That is because fire ants inhabit this cave also. (Ref: The Caves of the Balcones Conservation Plan, 1996)
The Kretschmarr Cave mold beetle has been confirmed to exist inside of MWA Cave by the US Fish & Wildlife Services. (Ref: https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/Documents/R2ES/Tooth%20Cave%20Spider,%20Kretschmarr%20Cave%20Mold%20Beetle,%20and%20Tooth%20Cave%20Pseudoscorpion%205-Year%20Review.pdf)
Because MWA Cave contains the Tooth Cave pseudoscorpion and Kretschmarr Cave mold beetle, the cave has potential to meet the definition of a KFA. However all of the features within this cave contribute to the long-term viability and stability of the potential KFA. That is why MWA Cave has been preserved for the benefit of endangered karst invertebrates and is considered part of the BCP. MWA Cave may also contain other listed species. (Ref: https://vdocuments.mx/tooth-cave-spider-neoleptoneta-myopica-texamaurops-cave-spider-tooth.html)
R. Reddell suggests that the confirmed presence of an undescribed troglobitic Rhadine species is a good indicator that Tooth Cave ground beetles are also present. (Ref: https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/Documents/R2ES/LitCited/4TX_Sal/HNTB_2005_Tooth_Cave_ground_beetle_summary.pdf)
Below is the history of MWA Cave.
P WB Joint Venture purchased the land MWA Cave was on in 1994 with the intentions of creating a nature preserve for endangered species of insects.
MWA Cave was named after Mike Warton & Associates, the mapping firm
who mapped MWA Cave along with several other caves on the Four Point HCP
preserve. The cave was named MWA Cave in 1994. MWA Cave was visited again by an SWCA cave biologist and Mike Warton on April 11, 1995 for the purpose of making biota collections. Remaining features were considered insignificant with respect to endangered cave invertebrates. Now this SWCA cave biologist discovered that MWA Cave is known to be inhabited by Tooth Cave ground beetles and Bone Cave harvestman. (Ref: https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/Documents/R2ES/HCP_TPGFourPoints_19951113.pdf)
Because MWA Cave contained the Tooth Cave pseudoscorpion and Kretschmarr Cave mold beetle, the cave has potential to meet the definition of a KFA. All of the features within MWA Cave contributed to the long-term viability and stability of the potential KFA. That is why MWA Cave has been preserved for the benefit of endangered karst invertebrates and is considered part of the BCP. (Ref: https://vdocuments.mx/tooth-cave-spider-neoleptoneta-myopica-texamaurops-cave-spider-tooth.html)
The USFWS in 1996 issued an ESA Section 10(a)(1)(B) incidental take permit (permit number PRT 808694) to P WB Joint Venture in part to cover the potential incidental take of Tooth Cave ground beetles associated with development within an approximately 333-acre property in north-central Travis County, Texas. In 1996, Four Point HCP called for the preservation of a 52-acre “high density cave area” containing six caves (including MWA Cave) or prominent karst features including four of the Tooth Cave ground beetle confirmed collection sites. (Ref: https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/Documents/R2ES/LitCited/4TX_Sal/HNTB_2005_Tooth_Cave_ground_beetle_summary.pdf)
WB Joint Ventures and Parke Properties transferred ownership of the property to TPG Four Points Land, L.P. in 1999 on warranty deed. (Ref: https://americanstewards.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Petition-to-Delist-Texella-reyesi-1.pdf)
TPG Four Points Land, L.P. is the current owner of MWA Cave. Today MWA Cave is privately owned and managed by TPG Four Points Land and BCP.
MWA Cave is located at 7501 River Place Boulevard, Austin, Texas, US 78726.
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