Barton Springs Pool

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Barton Springs Pool in Austin, Texas.

Barton Springs Pool is a man-made 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, since it maintains a temperature of approximately 68°F (20°C). Lifeguards are posted during warm weather, and a small fee ($1 to $3) is charged for access to the pool. Swimming is free in colder weather, with no lifeguards, on a "swim-at-your-own-risk" basis. The pool is surrounded by grassy slopes which are ideal for sunbathing. Topless sunbathing is permitted.

1 History
2 Operation of the pool
3 Environmental issues
4 External links

[edit] History

Long before Barton Spring Pool was built, the springs were considered sacred by the Tonkawa Native American tribe who inhabited the area, and were used for purification rituals. Spanish explorers first discovered 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, which is currently undergoing historic renovation.

[edit] 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.

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 blast pressured water against the limestone bottom of the pool to wash away the hazardous and slippery algae buildup. Once a year the pool is closed for several weeks for more extensive cleaning. During this time the floodgates are usually fully opened. With all of the water drained from the pool, the original limestone bedrock of the creekbed reappears.

During large rainfall events, the pool is closed as Barton Creek may flood and overflow the diversion dam. Swimming in Barton Springs Pool is unsafe during these flood events, as the pool becomes a raging creek.

[edit] 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.

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).