At Least Barton Springs Pool is Fine! City Says Hold My Craft Beer

[The Whistler 14]

you know how many hobos i've sex with in those free bathrooms?

[The Whistler 14]

2 minutes ago, JimmyJames said:

Como? 

you know how many hobos i've had free sex with in those free bathrooms? they have showers too!

[JimmyJames 12271]

Just now, The Whistler said:

you know how many hobos i've sex with in those free bathrooms?

Ah so you’re a troll. Why focus on Barton Springs though? Seems strange.

[The Whistler 14]

yup, ya got me.  i'm outed.  guess my argument is invalidated.  the troll toll fee if you will.

[The Whistler 14]

5 minutes ago, JimmyJames said:

Ah so you’re a troll. Why focus on Barton Springs though? Seems strange.

do you even thread title broseph

[futureman 22553]

6 hours ago, Steamboat1874 said:

That pool has never been the same since they took the top off of that hill to build Barton Creek Mall.

I’d like to hear more about this, please.

[Bevo 13601]

24 minutes ago, futureman said:

I’d like to hear more about this, please.

It is a place where people go to shop.

[atomheartbevo 89824]

3 hours ago, The Whistler said:

great revenue stream?  doubtful

It is/was a healthy revenue stream and profitable.  Source: a relative lifeguarded there around 10 years ago.   I was actually surprised at the number he mentioned at the time.  

[futureman 22553]

7 minutes ago, Bevo said:

It is a place where people go to shop.

[CooterBrown 18032]

Is that what they called it in the Victorian Age?

He traded Chief Lazy Eye half a bottle of fire water for those pants.

[The Whistler 14]

12 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

It is/was a healthy revenue stream and profitable.  Source: a relative lifeguarded there around 10 years ago.   I was actually surprised at the number he mentioned at the time.  

that is surprising.  i wanna say there was a point when it was free to get in, then changed it to $5 a pop. don't recall any merchandise or drinks/food for sell.  a lot of people skirted the fence too.  college kids are cheap.  fond memories.

Edited October 26, 2019 by The Whistler

[atomheartbevo 89824]

5 minutes ago, The Whistler said:

that is surprising.  i wanna say there was a point when it was free to get in, then changed it to $5 a pop. don't recall any merchandise or drinks/food for sell.  a lot of people skirted the fence too.  college kids are cheap.  fond memories.

Actually, it may not be surprising.  They are expecting around a million people to visit this year, and fees were raised recently for everybody.

https://communityimpact.com/austin/central-austin/city-county/2018/12/05/one-million-people-likely-to-visit-barton-springs-pool-next-year-drawing-concern-from-officials/

Quote

If trends continue, Barton Springs will see over one million visitors in 2019, which has caused concern from city parks officials who say such attendance levels could substantially impact the pool’s water quality, operations and staffing.

Large attendee increases happened over the past two years, aquatics division manager Jodi Jay told parks board members on Tuesday night. Between 2016 and 2017, Jay estimated attendance increased from roughly 500,000 visitors to 750,000. She said roughly 975,000 people visited the pool in 2018.

“It’s something that, if trends continue, we think we should monitor and come up with a plan on how to best protect the facility,” Jay said.

*raises hand* "Let's run Barton Creek through the pool, that will be good for driving off a chunk of people!"

[JimmyJames 12271]

I got an idea how to address the potential staffing issue. Hire more staff. 

Ive also got an idea how to raise more revenue to pay for the extra staff. Raise the entrance price (which they just did this year). 

And for the alleged water quality problem, it’s a constant moving spring water pool. You could stick 300 stinky guidos named Sal from New York in the thing and it’s not gonna affect the water quality. 

Yes when there is heavy rain in the recharge zone it can affect the springs water quality and sometimes the pool has to close. This was probably also a problem back when big chief shit in the bucket ran the place. 

[Texas_Rocks 347]

There will be a sharp increase in homeless polluting that creek before something like this actually happens. We’re the ultimate destination in Texas right now.

[JimmyJames 12271]

Read some more on this and it sounds like some “let’s all get back to nature” bullshit with a side of government contractor graft thrown in for good measure. 

They appear to have no idea how this idea will affect the water quality of the pool when their best argument is “well squirrel shit and other pollution reaches the springs too!”  

Also forgot to mention OP needs some kudos for both bringing this latest COA idiocy to our attention and a great thread title to boot. 

[High Plains Drifter 11052]

Just a little more info and some speculation:

 

The spring enters the pool roughly under the diving board, and the flow is out through the downstream dam. If you are a serious swimmer, you can tell the difference between swimming up stream (from the downstream down toward the diving board) against a slight current  vs. swimming downstream.

There is no current upstream from the diving board, where the shallow end is. This results in the shallow end basically being stagnant. Which results in unsanitary conditions. This is alleviated somewhat by a drain in the shallow end about halfway between the diving board and the upstream dam that drains into the creek bypass under the sidewalk. But even with the drain, there is still stagnation in the shallow end.

Allowing the creek to flow through the pool might alleviate some of this stagnation. It might also result in less algae growing on the bottom of the shallow end.

Again, I don't know enough to have an opinion one way or another, just speculating.

[Texas Jeff 1945]

On 10/25/2019 at 11:02 PM, futureman said:

I’d like to hear more about this, please.

1978, Barton Creek Mall site, looking north towards downtown.  360 under construction:

A more recent photo:

Could be a tad more crap in the aquifer now ... just a guess.

[JimmyJames 12271]

5 hours ago, High Plains Drifter said:

Just a little more info and some speculation:

 

The spring enters the pool roughly under the diving board, and the flow is out through the downstream dam. If you are a serious swimmer, you can tell the difference between swimming up stream (from the downstream down toward the diving board) against a slight current  vs. swimming downstream.

There is no current upstream from the diving board, where the shallow end is. This results in the shallow end basically being stagnant. Which results in unsanitary conditions. This is alleviated somewhat by a drain in the shallow end about halfway between the diving board and the upstream dam that drains into the creek bypass under the sidewalk. But even with the drain, there is still stagnation in the shallow end.

Allowing the creek to flow through the pool might alleviate some of this stagnation. It might also result in less algae growing on the bottom of the shallow end.

Again, I don't know enough to have an opinion one way or another, just speculating.

The key word in your post is it “might” make it better in the shallow end. It also “might” make the water quality in the entire pool, including the shallow end, much poorer. Perhaps that should be looked at first. 

I also think that a new city paid for construction project, whether necessary or not,  “might” make someone some money somewhere.

[HornOnTheBayou 8950]

On 10/25/2019 at 11:30 PM, Bevo said:

It is a place where people go to shop.

But that's not important now

[futureman 22553]

18 hours ago, Texas Jeff said:

1978, Barton Creek Mall site, looking north towards downtown.  360 under construction:

I can see what looks like mopac further north... is southern mopac in the foreground and just hidden by trees because it was two-lane or did it not extend that far south in 1978?

[Deej 76946]

I feel like it hadn't crossed the river at that point in time. Could be wrong.