Barton Springs Pool

Barton Springs Pool in Austin, Texas.

Barton Springs Pool is a man-made recreational swimming pool located on the grounds of Zilker Park in Austin, Texas. The pool exists in the channel of Barton Creek and is filled by water from Main Barton Spring, the fourth largest spring in Texas. The pool is a popular venue for year-round swimming, as its temperature maintains a narrow range from about 68 °F (20 °C) in the winter to about 71.6 °F (22.0 °C) in the summer.

History

Long before Barton Springs Pool was built, the springs were considered sacred and were used for purification rituals by the Tonkawa Native American tribe who inhabited the area. Spanish explorers first found the springs in the 17th century, and around 1730 erected temporary missions at the site (later moving to San Antonio).

In 1837, soon after incorporation of the city of Austin, William ("Uncle Billy") Barton, the springs' namesake, settled the area. Barton named the three separate springs after his three daughters: Parthenia, Eliza, and Zenobia. He, and subsequent owners of the property, recognized its value as a tourist attraction, and promoted it vigorously, thus leading to the swimming hole's lasting popularity.

The last private owner of the property, Andrew Jackson Zilker, deeded it to Austin in 1918. During the 1920s, the city undertook a construction project to create a larger swimming area by damming the springs and building sidewalks. The bathhouse was constructed in the 1940s and modeled after the design of the bathhouse at Deep Eddy Pool.

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Operation of the pool

Stairs leading to Barton Springs Pool

The pool is usually open to the public from 5:00am to 10:00pm, Friday through Wednesday. During this time, the floodgates on the pool's dam are closed, and Main Barton Spring fills the pool to a maximum depth of more than 18 feet. At the upper end of the pool, another dam prevents surface water from Barton Creek from entering the pool by diverting it through a tunnel under the sidewalks.

Although admission to the pool is free from November through mid March, from mid March to October a small fee ($1 to $3) is charged for entry after 8:00am. Every evening after 9:00pm during the charging season, admission is free until closing. Summer passes, valid from Memorial Day to Labor Day, are also available.

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Barton Springs Pool

Lifeguards are usually present except before 8:00am, when swimmers are cautioned to "swim at your own risk". The pool is surrounded by grassy slopes which are ideal for sunbathing. Topless sunbathing is permitted, as in the rest of Austin. Items prohibited from entering the facility include coolers, food, non-resealable beverages other than water, glass containers, alcohol, loud speakers, pets other than service animals, and bicycles. Floatation devices are permitted at either end of the pool, but not allowed in the middle.

On Thursdays, the pool is closed for cleaning from 9:00am until 7:00pm. The floodgates are sometimes partially opened, lowering the water level in the pool by several feet. Employees then buff or blast pressured water against the limestone bottom of the pool's shallow end, as well as the steps and ramps leading into the water, in order to wash away the hazardous and slippery algae buildup. In the deep end, a fire hose is used to push debris toward the downstream dam. Overgrown vegetation is also trimmed on cleaning days. Once a year the pool is closed for several weeks for more extensive cleaning.

The pool is closed during flash flood warnings as Barton Creek may flood and overflow the diversion dam. Swimming in Barton Springs Pool is then unsafe, as it transforms into a raging creek. The pool is then closed for several days after a flood, so mud and debris that washed into the pool can be removed. Other unplanned reasons for pool closure include lightning or thunder in the area, "search and rescue" situations, serious medical emergencies, high fecal coliform count, and chemical spills (either inside the pool itself or over the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer).

Environmental issues

The pool has been closed to the public a number of times since the 1980s due to unsafe levels of fecal coliform (E. coli) bacteria in its waters. The source of contamination is still undetermined: many point to upstream urban development as the cause, although others note that high bacteria levels were seen in the 1950s, when development was less pervasive. Contamination is usually worse after heavy rains due to the flushing of the effluent of upstream subdivisions into the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone which feeds the springs.

The environmental conditions of the springs gave birth to a local political movement called the Save Our Springs Alliance (SOS). SOS became a force in Austin municipal politics, leading to many "green" initiatives involving environmental issues in addition to those of the springs.

Another environmental issue involving the springs and the pool emerged with the discovery of the Barton Springs salamander, a federally listed endangered or threatened species which only exists in the pool and a few surrounding environs. After some debate, and studies by the city of Austin, Texas state agencies, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, it was determined that swimmers and salamanders could co-exist (as they had probably been doing for some time).

External links

• City of Austin – Parks and Recreation Department: Barton Springs
• Will van Overbeek's Barton Springs photos
• Friends of Barton Springs Pool
• Save Our Springs Alliance
• Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District
• The Edwards Aquifer Website
• Temperature Map of Barton Springs Pool
• Barton Springs Pool, Soul of the City