Geography
Dickens County Straddles the Caprock Escarpment
The county has two distinct landscapes — flat High Plains to the northwest above the Caprock, and rolling breaks below it to the southeast.
The Caprock Escarpment is a long, rugged cliff line that cuts across this part of Texas. In Dickens County, the flat tableland of the Llano Estacado sits above the Caprock in the northwest. Below the Caprock, the land drops into rolling hills and broken draws. The county seat of Dickens sits in the lower, rolling section.
This split in terrain affects more than scenery. Soils, water sources, and vegetation differ sharply on each side. Cotton farming developed mainly on the flat uplands; ranching was more common in the breaks below. Average annual rainfall is about 20 inches, which is enough for dryland farming in some years but not others. If you're buying land, knowing which side of the Caprock you're on matters for what you can grow, how you'll get water, and how the land drains.
Source to confirm: Handbook of Texas — Dickens County