Yellowhouse Draw Diaries

Photographs of the Lubbock Lake National Historic Landmark

by Kippra D. Hopper

September 2026 – Spring 2027

The Lubbock Lake Landmark is an archaeological site and nature preserve situated in Yellowhouse Draw, approximately 2.5 miles north of the Museum at Texas Tech University. This ancient river valley, part of the Brazos River watershed, has evolved over thousands of years into a native mixed-grass prairie on the Llano Estacado, one of the largest mesas on the North American continent.

For the past 13 years, I have worked at and photographed the 336-acre Lubbock Lake Landmark. During this time, I also trained to become a Certified Texas Master Naturalist with the South Plains Chapter, studying regional flora, fauna, and ecosystems under the guidance of experts. Since 2018, I have volunteered at nature sites, educating others about our ecosystem and participating in conservation work. As a naturalist and photographer, I am continually captivated by the daily beauty of this complex ecosystem.

Under the dedicated guidance of Director Dr. Eileen Johnson and Heritage Management Supervisor Scott Trevey, Yellowhouse Draw continues to be carefully restored to showcase its natural state as a native prairie from the 1870s. This prairie, bustling with diverse animal and plant life—including the often-maligned Black-Tailed Prairie Dog, the protected Texas Horned Lizard, and even a rare visitor from the past—an American Beaver—is a testament to the importance of preservation and conservation efforts of the Lubbock Lake Landmark.

Once the nation's largest ecosystem and now the most at risk of disappearing, the Great Plains grasslands once covered about 40% of North America. However, after more than 200 years of urban and agricultural development, recent estimates show that only 5% of the nation's tallgrass prairies and 25% of the mixed and shortgrass prairies remain in their natural state. In Lubbock County, only 2% of this native prairie remains. The Landmark is part of that 2%. The Lubbock Lake Landmark's natural heritage as a mixed-grass prairie is accessible to everyone and is preserved for future generations to respect, learn from, and steward. These photographs document some of the life on that unique land.