Aquarena Springs
Last summer was one of the worst droughts in recorded Texas history. We had record high temperatures, little to no rain, and yet we all had a need to continue to use one of our most precious natural resources: water. Throughout history water has defined civilizations. Natives camped near springs, settlers established towns near rivers, countries have even fought over major water ways. Water is a necessity of life. In Texas, we are often cursed by dust inducing droughts that arguably make water as precious as our other great natural resource, oil. But we are also blessed with some of the most amazing springs and water features in the country.
In order to spotlight some of these water features, I am writing a series of articles on Spectacular Springs. Springs are essentially spots in the earth where groundwater bubbles up to the surface. Currently, 60% of all water use in Texas comes from groundwater. Our springs were drying up before this past summer and the drought has only sped up this process. However, there are still several locations where you can go and experience a Spectacular Spring and Aquarena Springs (San Marcos Springs) is the first one I am spotlighting.
 If you are of my generation, the mention of "Aquarena Springs" brings to mind images of mermaids, glass bottom boats, and Ralph, the Famous Swimming Pig. However, the Aquarena Springs Amusement Park of yesteryear is no more. Ralph has retired, the mermaids are off raising their mer-children somewhere, but the glass bottom boats remain as part of a revamped Aquarena Center, run by Texas State University. Never fear, you can still take your children to see the wonders that inhabit one of the most beautiful and abundant springs in Texas.
Aquarena Springs, the amusement park I knew as a child, is just one chapter in the illustrious history of the San Marcos Springs, which is the true name of this water feature. San Marcos Springs is actually over 200 springs that escape from the Edwards Aquifer to make up the headwaters of the San Marcos River. The area around the springs is actually one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in North America, with artifacts dating back 12,000 years. In 1847, Edward Burleson, former Republic of Texas vice president, bought the land around the springs and built a cabin and a dam there, forming Spring Lake, which still exists today. He clearly had quite the eye for real estate.
By the early 1990's, the San Antonio-Austin corridor had changed from a predominantly rural area to a thriving metropolitan area. With this growth came a fear that increased pumping from the Edwards Aquifer might threaten to diminish the flow of springs such as San Marcos Springs. The Sierra Club filed a lawsuit seeking to minimize the use of the springs in order to protect them and the various animals indigenous to them. The springs are home to the Fountain Darter, the Texas Blind Salamander and the San Marcos Salamander, among other protected species. The Federal Endangered Species Act bolstered the argument of the Sierra Club and they won their lawsuit. It was a landmark decision and has altered how water is treated in litigation in Texas. This chapter in San Marcos Springs history changed the way groundwater is managed throughout the state.
 In 1994, Texas State University bought the Aquarena Springs Amusement Park and the surrounding area and has turned it into a wildlife habitat and education center. Educational programs, field trips and glass bottom boat rides are still available. Now a new generation of children can experience the bubbling springs and peer down into the depths of the headwaters of the San Marcos River to see what the natives 12,000 years ago found so mesmerizing and essential to their way of life.
*Additional contributions to this article were made by Todd Fox. |
The weekend will begin with a banquet on Friday night with guest speaker Chris Wood, a former senior policy and communications advisor to the U.S. Forest Service. Tickets are available at 
Seeing as how this is my inaugural blog and it’s the beginning of the year, I thought I would blog about something that most people have thought about in the last few weeks: New Year’s Resolutions. One of my resolutions is to blog a couple times per month and share interesting information with you. I would like to make a suggestion for a resolution for you: Get out there and enjoy the Great Outdoors! It’s going to be 110 degrees again before you know it. The next 5 months sometimes provide the best weather of the year in Texas. This is the time to get out there and remember why so many people want to move to Texas.