Hannah OrtegaAustin American-Statesman
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One of Austin's most iconic swimming holes will not allow visitors this summer.
Jacob's Well Natural Area is suspending swimming until further notice due to low water levels and spring flow, according to a Facebook post from Hays County Parks. Normally, the well holds its summer swimming season from May 1 to Sept. 30.
The parks department noted that the area is still open for those who wish to view the well or take part in hiking, geocaching and more. Hays County officials will also conduct monthly reevaluations of the water conditions "to determine whether swimming might become possible at a later date," the Facebook post said.
More: Austin's water supply is squeezed by extreme drought. Here's what you can do | Grumet
Jacob's Well closed in previous summers
Low water levels are not new for Jacob's Well, as the swimming hole remained closed last summer for the same reason and in summer 2022 for a complete cessation of water flow. It was the first time since 2000 that the well lost water flow.
In late 2023, Hays County officials were worried that Jacob's Well might never return to normal. Harsh droughts brought the well to the brink of no return, damaging ecosystems and local economies. It also diminished some of the well's cultural relevance, Katherine Sturdivant, parks education coordinator for the Parks Department, told the American-Statesman in August.
The popular swimming hole in Hays County was replenished by arecent torrent of rain across Central Texasand has resumed its flow, the American-Statesman reported in January.
