Diving 'The Oasis of West Texas'
By Linda Lee Walden Photos by Lynn Laymon
Everyone knows that Texas is BIG. But you have to drive through it on Interstate
10 - just shy of 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from Louisiana to New Mexico - to
appreciate how big it really is. The eastern third is
green
and humid, but as you head west through the hill country surrounding San Antonio
the natural vegetation gradually changes to hardy cedars.
Soon the hills become open prairie and then arid desert cut with dry arroyos. If
you've watched old cowboy movies, it's easy to imagine a stagecoach bouncing
along beside your vehicle. Towns are small and far between.
About 800 miles (1,280 km) into your westward journey, in the most sparsely
populated region of west Texas, appears a natural oasis. It's known as San
Solomon Springs, a cluster of artesian and gravity springs that discharge upward
of 25 million gallons (95 million liters) of fresh water per day into the
otherwise arid Madera Valley.
To the south and west the valley is bordered by the Davis Mountains. Rain caught
by the peaks percolates down through faults in the limestone bedrock, emerging
into spreading wetland pools used for thousands of years by Native Americans to
water their animals and by early settlers for crop irrigation.
The most unusual aspect of San Solomon, however, is that during the Great
Depression the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) turned the springs into what
was then the world's largest spring-fed swimming pool. In recent decades this
pool has become a favorite open-water site for scuba training and recreational
diving.
The centerpiece of 46-acre (18-hectare) Balmorhea (bal-mo-ray) State Park, the
pool is visited regularly by divers from Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas and every
corner of Texas. On winter weekends it's not unusual to find as many as 200
divers enjoying the clear, warm spring water.
Open-water Pool
It may seem strange to consider a swimming pool an open-water dive site. But San
Solomon is no ordinary pool; the design is unique. A 200-foot- (61-m-) diameter
pond 25 feet (7.5 m) deep was constructed right over the outflows of several
major springs. Radiating out from the circular pond in a "V" shape are two legs,
each 70 feet (21 m) wide.
Although both legs were originally more than 300 feet (91 m) long, one was left
shallow as a wading and swimming area and eventually shortened due to
insufficient water circulation to maintain clarity. The other leg slopes upward
from the central pool to about 12 feet (4 m) deep at the far end. There the
water flows out through a canal to feed Balmorhea Lake, the reservoir for a
system of canals that irrigate almost 13,000 acres (5,200 hectares) of farmland.
Originally, the 3.5 million-gallon (13.3 million-liter) pool was lined with
local limestone blocks and bordered with flagstone paving. Over the intervening
years, however, the native rock has flaked, requiring capping with concrete to
preserve the walls and adjacent walkways.
The bottom of the pool has undergone a different kind of transformation. Natural
processes, including blowing desert sand and breakdown of the limestone lining
blocks have created a silty substrate that supports a carpet of hydrilla and
other aquatic grasses.
An assortment of freshwater animals, including spiny softshell turtles, Mexican
tetras and channel catfish feed off off the grasses. Two species of endangered
fishes also inhabit the pool: Comanche Springs Pupfish and Pecos Gambusia
(mosquito fish). Because of this metamorphosis from swimming pool to natural
habitat, in 1992 the San Solomon Springs pool was reclassified by the Texas park
system as a natural body of water.
Due to the huge flow-through of spring water filtered through miles of bedrock,
the visibility in the pool is crystal-clear. Divers report being able to see
most of the distance across the 200-foot (61-m) central pool, and 80-foot (24-m)
visibility is standard. Even when divers have stirred up the bottom, the water
clears quickly.
Consistently calm and clear water conditions make San Solomon Springs an
attractive year-round diving destination. Plus, in the winter inland lakes and
Gulf of Mexico waters dip into the 50s Fahrenheit (teens Celsius), but the San
Solomon pool remains between 72 and 76 degrees F (22 and 24 C) year-round.
According to park records, during the cooler months 80 percent of visitors are
divers, while swimmers predominate in the summer.
In addition to basic certifications, the pool is suitable for most continuing
education courses except deep diving. Since the elevation there is 3,300 feet
(1,000 m), dive profiles should be calculated using altitude tables or computer
algorithms.
In recognition of the recreational and environmental value of this unique
natural habitat the Texas state legislature has officially designated Balmorhea
State Park "The Oasis of West Texas."
Facilities
It took four years, 1935 through 1938, for the CCC to construct the pool at San
Solomon Springs. Designed for easy entry and exit, there are eight sets of broad
steps conveniently spaced around the perimeter of the pool. Giant stride entries
can be performed from the edges and six metal ladders allow divers to exit from
the deeper sections of the pool.
At the time the pool was constructed a group shelter and Spanish-style multiuse
building with restrooms were also built. A few years later adobe cottages with
red tile roofs were added to help attract visitors to the remote location.
In 1968 administration of the park was transferred from a concessionaire to the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. It was named Balmorhea State Park because
the land was donated by Balmorhea Ranch Inc. (Balmorhea is a combination of the
names of three original settler families: BALcom, MOore and RHEA.)
Men's and women's bathhouses with hot-water showers were added, as well as a
34-space campground with electric and water hookups. The original adobe cottages
have undergone several improvements; today there are 18 motel rooms on site,
some with kitchenettes. There is also a meeting room that can be rented as a
classroom or for group functions.
Partly shaded by huge trees, a wide lawn leads from the bathhouses to the pool.
At least a dozen picnic tables are available for scuba groups and individual
divers. The atmosphere is welcoming - a relaxing oasis amid an arid landscape.
No scuba equipment accessories or rentals are available on the grounds, however,
there is a scuba center adjacent to the park. Visitors can't help but notice the
huge dive flag painted across the near wall of the Toyahvale Desert Oasis. Owned
by Darrel and Neta Rhyne, the scuba center used to share this historic building
with Neta's souvenir shop and Cherokee art gallery.
This past February the scuba center moved into larger quarters directly across
the road and changed its name to "Funky L'il Dive Shop." Not wishing to compete
with dive centers bringing students to the springs, they do not sell equipment,
but maintain a supply of accessories and rental gear "just in case." They do
offer air fills and rent tanks.
Nondiving Attractions
The activity at Balmorhea State Park centers on the pool. The only other
attraction in the park is the cieinega. This 3-acre
(1-hectare) desert wetland was reintroduced in 1995 to help protect the Comanche
Springs pupfish, which survives only here, as well as to allow visitors a
glimpse into the preconstruction springs ecosystem.
The marsh provides a habitat for dozens of species of birds and several fishes.
A raised viewing platform gives visitors a clear view among the cattails and
bulrushes and a ramp leads down to an underwater window for close-up observation
of pupfish, mosquito fish and other springs inhabitants in their natural
surroundings.
Balmorhea State park is actually in Toyahvale, which consists of the park,
souvenir and dive shops, a post office and outlying farms. Four miles (6.4 km)
north on Highway 17, just off Interstate 10 exits 206 and 209, is Balmorhea,
population about 500. It contains a few small restaurants and two motels. With
31 rooms they are often filled with divers on winter weekends.
Most dive centers bring their students for the weekend. Saturday evening many
drive 35 scenic miles (56 km) south to Fort Davis, a quaint, western-style town
with several restaurants and a historic frontier fort. A short drive from there
into the Davis Mountains, the University of Texas McDonald Observatory offers
nightly star gazing programs.
Details
Although divers enjoy San Solomon's temperate waters year-round, September
through May are the most popular months. Summer air temperatures can reach 100 F
(39 C); winters are known to drop occasionally to freezing, but 70s F (20s C)
are possible anytime.
Night diving is permitted until 10 p.m. in the winter months and midnight during
the summer. The daily park entrance fee is $5 per person.
The town of Balmorhea maintains a volunteer ambulance corps that services the
state park. The closest hospital is in Pecos (40 miles [64 km]); the nearest
recompression chambers are in Midland/Odessa and El Paso. Both are more than 100
miles (161 km) away, but Life Flight is available.
For more information about diving San Solomon Springs and Balmorhea State Park,
visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Web site,
www.tpwd.state.tx.us.
The phone number for the Balmorhea State Park office is (432) 375-2370. For
campsite and motel reservations dial the central reservations number, (512)
389-8900, between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Central time.
The Funky L'il Dive Shop (Toyahvale Desert Oasis) can be reached at (432)
375-2572, or e-mail scuba@toy ahvale.com.
green
and humid, but as you head west through the hill country surrounding San Antonio
the natural vegetation gradually changes to hardy cedars. 