When summer sizzles in Texas, there’s only one place to cool off the swimming pool. But which one? Did you know that there are over 150 public places to swim in Central Texas alone?😲
The old slogan for Pearl Beer claimed Central Texas is the land of 1100 Springs. That number is probably a gross understatement. Central Texas is simply swimming in natural springs and rivers. And to that the abundance of man made pools, water parks, and old fashioned swimming holes, and the opportunities for getting wet are staggering.
Why are we blessed with so many springs? Central Texas is at the convergence point of several distinct geological features, making it a unique place in the world. The Edwards Plateau to the West is characterized by limestone caves, deep aquifers and granite beds. This area is strewn with hundreds of springs, streams, creeks and natural pools. The Balconies fault bisects Austin with a 600 foot uplift, and is the source of many springs. The Colorado River weaves through it all. Since the Colorado River was dammed in the 1940s, residents in this area have been enjoying a plentitude of recreational opportunities.
The Edwards Aquifer formed as the result of a shallow sea that covered Texas during the Cretaceous, about 100 million years ago. Austin was part of a reef system littered with seashell creatures. Over the years, beds of limestone formed from the shells of these animals and water dissolved tiny holes throughout that act like a porous filter. Earthquakes then ripped open the sections of the limestone along fault lines, allowing the water to rise to the surface as springs. About 300 thousand acre feet of water are stored in this underground maze.
The climate in Central Texas is ideal for water oriented recreation. With mild winters and just a few days below freezing, and summer temperatures soaring in excess of 100 degrees, water sports are enjoyed year round.
Archeological sites in the area have turned up evidence and relics of human presence since prehistoric times.
People have continued to live in this area since that time because of the abundance of water. Tonkawa, Comanche, Apache and Jumano Indians resided in this area or migrated through it, and Spanish explorers and missionaries later encountered these tribes when they settled the area in the 1700s. Between 1680 and 1800, the Colorado River was their lifeline. Missions and forts were established along the banks, including one at Barton Springs in Austin.
So where should you start cooling off? Let’s begin right here in Austin.
Austin has plenty of reasons to be proud of its recreational resources. We have over 200 parks, 23 greenbelts, 30 miles of hike and bike trails, and 44 swimming pools, more per capita than any other city in the United States. From the inception of the Parks and recreation, department, leaders envisioned a swimming pool within walking distance of every Austenite. A goal that has been effectively reached. Today, participants in swimming still outnumber all the other sports activities.
Before 1928,, the city did not have any organized facilities, although people enjoyed boating excursions on the Colorado River and swimming in Barton Springs and Deep Eddy, both privately owned at the time. In 1917, the city bought Barton Springs, the bath house came later, in 1947. Rosewood Was one of the earliest pools that the city constructed. Opened in 1929, it was segregated. In the 1930s. Andrew Zilker donated the land adjacent to Barton Springs for a public park. This was quickly followed by a purchase of Deep Eddy.
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