Aquarena
Center, San Marcos, Texas
(by Roger Veteto)
Aquarena
Springs used to be a roadside attraction, complete with a mermaid show
and a diving pig, until it closed in the 1980s. Since then, the site has
been taken over by Texas State University. It is a freshwater spring and
is the headwaters of the San Marcos river. The Edwards Aquifer comes to
the surface here and keeps Spring Lake at a constant 70 degrees year round.
While the depth is only about 25 feet max, the clarity of the water and
the abundance of wildlife make this a great dive site. The site is well
populated with bass, gar, turtles, and many other kinds of fish. You'll
usually have some following you around while you dive. There are several
sites where the springs come bubbling through the sand, giving the appearance
of cream of wheat. They run glass bottom boat tours here, so occasionally
you'll look up to see some excited school kids pointing and waving at
you. Since the site is home to some endangered species, and is also an
archeological site, you have to take the university's two-day Scientific
Diver course before you can dive here. Once you do, however, you'll be
able to come back and dive for free, as long as you do a little volunteer
work while you dive.
This report was provided by
City of Houston Underwater Mariners (CHUM). They can be found on the web
at www.chumclub.org
Aquarena
Springs used to be a roadside attraction, complete with a mermaid show
and a diving pig, until it closed in the 1980s. Since then, the site has
been taken over by Texas State University. It is a freshwater spring and
is the headwaters of the San Marcos river. The Edwards Aquifer comes to
the surface here and keeps Spring Lake at a constant 70 degrees year round.
While the depth is only about 25 feet max, the clarity of the water and
the abundance of wildlife make this a great dive site. The site is well
populated with bass, gar, turtles, and many other kinds of fish. You'll
usually have some following you around while you dive. There are several
sites where the springs come bubbling through the sand, giving the appearance
of cream of wheat. They run glass bottom boat tours here, so occasionally
you'll look up to see some excited school kids pointing and waving at
you. Since the site is home to some endangered species, and is also an
archeological site, you have to take the university's two-day Scientific
Diver course before you can dive here. Once you do, however, you'll be
able to come back and dive for free, as long as you do a little volunteer
work while you dive.
