Deep Eddy Pool drying up

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Deep Eddy Pool’s wells are running dry, and the city said Friday the pool could dry up soon.

When the city replaced what they thought was, a failing pump last week, they realized the pump wasn’t broken— the well that feeds the shallow end of the pool was bone dry.

Two wells feed Deep Eddy Pool, the city said. The well at the shallow end has dried up. The well that feeds the deep end of the pool is at risk of drying up, according to experts. Both are victims of the ongoing drought in the region.

Another revelation is that the wells that feed the state’s oldest swimming pool aren’t filled up by Lady Bird Lake, as originally thought. Experts are working to figure out what the water source is for the wells.

The pool remains open. If the drought situation continues at the current level, however, the wells that feed the pool won’t be replenished, and Deep Eddy Pool could go away.  If drought-correcting rains should come, there is a chance those rains would refill the source of the wells which would, in turn, refill the pool

In Depth : The history of Deep Eddy Pool

According to the website City-Data.com, Deep Eddy Pool started as a swimming hole in the Colorado River before forming into an eddy. In 1915, A.J. Eilers, Sr purchased the land surrounding the swimming hold and constructed a concrete pool. 

In 1935, the City of Austin bought the property and transformed the area and eddy into the city's main swimming pool.

The man-made pool has even been the inspiration for various works of art, including the famous song "Deep Eddy Blues" written by Jimmie Dale Gilmore.

The Deep Eddy Pool is located next to Elders Park, right off the hike and bike trails, and steps from the Mopac Bridge. The area is located west of downtown Austin and has a convenient location for quick morning swims.

Because the pool water comes from a spring, temperatures in the eddy are consistently very cool. Water in the Deep Eddy pool remains between 72 and 75 degrees during the summer. Although the water stays relatively cool, the pool has been reviewed by swimmers as surprisingly refreshing.

The water in the Deep Eddy Pool is chlorine-free and has been a popular attraction for locals and tourists since the Depression era.

It is a registered historical landmark in Texas.