Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Barton Springs Pool Reopens Today After 1940s Bypass Removal

Work removed a deteriorating 1940s bypass structure under endangered-species safeguards.

Overview

  • Saturday hours are 5 a.m.–10 p.m., with swim-at-your-own-risk from 5–8 a.m. and 6–10 p.m., and guarded swim from 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
  • The longer closure let crews finish the Barton Springs Skimmer Bypass Project after unexpected site conditions required specialized equipment.
  • Routine inspections earlier this year found decades of erosion in the decommissioned bypass structure that risked collapsing into the pool.
  • The city closed the pool in late February to remove the structure ahead of a forecast major flood that officials said could have prolonged the shutdown.
  • All work followed the city’s Habitat Conservation Plan and Incidental Take Permit, which officials say is intended to benefit the endangered Barton Springs salamander by reconnecting habitat.