Local Superintendent Karl Coughlin Speaks On Textured History & Local Lore That Permeates This Fountain Of Youth
Deep in the parched desert of West Texas, a true oasis exists. The water that flows from the ground is cool and clean and clear and flows into a giant V-shaped pool that spreads out over an acre, harboring swimmers, catfish, scuba-divers, and many others looking for a healing fountain of the earth.
San Soloman Springs flows from the rock at about 3,300 feet above sea level, in the Madera Valley near the tiny town of Balmorhea. The park that includes camping and other amenities – but most importantly, the spring-water pool – is known as Balmorhea State Park, a property managed by the Texas State Parks.
Karl Coughlin, park superintendent, came here after he retired from military recreation service. He had a very good reason for choosing to work in such a remote location.
"I like the nothingness," Coughlin said. "It is 45-plus miles to the nearest traffic light. I love that adventure. I love the open spaces. The fact that it is an adventure to get here..you really get to see the true gritty parts of Texas."
That lone traffic light was strung in the heart of downtown Marfa, Texas, which is an oddity unto itself. A diverse place of art, cowboys, and hipster culture, the town is an hour-long drive south through the rugged highlands known as the Davis Mountains.
Native Americans used these springs long before European conquerors reached this Western desert. The Mescalero indians used the waters to grow peach trees and corn. There is even evidence of visits by Paleoindians, who were among the first tribes to inhabit North America, as many as 13,000 years ago.
Clovis Man, a large-game hunter named for the town in eastern New Mexico where their bones were identified, is thought to have used these artesian springs. The ancient hunters innovated longer spear points and created sling technology that allowed them to throw spears so fast they could penetrate – and kill – woolly mammoths, an extinct species that roamed this region. Large kill zones full of mammoth bones were discovered in eastern New Mexico, where the natives lived.
In those days, the spring water spread out where it emerged from the earth into a swampy lake called a cienega, which was full of wildlife. When western and Mexican farmers arrived here in the 19th century, they began a long process of dredging out the springs and creating irrigation canals, which was meant to control this incredible resource of food production.
In the distance, rolling hills inevitably turn into rolling mountains, grayed out as they reach for the horizon. Sunsets are immense and ever changing, as storms roll regularly across the region, sometimes towering high above the park. Majestic clouds suffused with lightning drag giant sheets of rain across the desert floor.
Everywhere, there are cottontail bunnies, utterly docile and acclimated to human visitors. They often come out of their homes beneath the desert plants and move within a dozen feet of the nearest camper. There are white washed walls on all the buildings, the visitors quarters and administration buildings, which were constructed in traditional adobe style by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1940. Pink and purple flowering plants abound, and many familiar species of wildflowers fill out the grasslands around the campsites. Desert Willow, Skeleton-leaf Goldeneye, and Chocolate Daisies can all be found in abundance here.
A couple hundred yards from the campground, water gushes from the San Solomon Springs, which fills a crystal clear pond nestled among the only Cottonwood Grove in a hundred miles. The springs produce more than 15 million gallons a day, water that flows out of the pool to the main reservoir, Balmorhea Lake, which is located about 3 miles away. Modern scuba diving classes are offered in waters that were known for centuries to the Mescalero Apache tribe
This pool is one of the largest in the world, covering 1.75 acres with a depth of 25 feet. It stands out for its uniqueness in the Texas Parks system, which itself is extraordinarily diverse. San Solomon was named by Mexican farmers, who used the pristine waters to grow crops in an otherwise desolate region. The site was transformed into an outpost retreat by the Federal Government in 1935, as part of the federal response to the Great Depression.
For a place so remote, Coughlin says the park is becoming known internationally and has even been featured recently on National Geographic. On a recent weekend, Coughlin had visitors from as far as Denmark, Finland and Norway.
"It is kind of like the movie, "Field of Dreams" – ‘if you build it they will come’," Coughlin chuckles, quoting the iconic tagline of the film starring Kevin Costner. "[Balmorhea] is really a cool melting pot because you get to see all these cultures enjoying this resource.”
The volume of flowing water is immense. The pool is cleaned once a year in May when the man-made parts – the walls and plaster on bottom -- are pressure washed and inspected for structural integrity. A series of channels and steel gates can redirect this massive flow of water directly into the irrigation canals that head to Lake Balmorhea. When cleaning is done, the water is again dammed up and the pool begins to refill. After, the staff redirects the spring flow back into the basin, and in 5 or 6 hours it is completely full again with all 3.5 million gallons.
Likewise, taking a dip in San Solomon Springs is, for many, a way to refill their spirit and wellness. A gray-hair Harley rider said swimming this pool was one of his bucket-list item.
Despite the desolation one must cross…a journey of sorts…to get here – or perhaps because of it – the pool is a popular choice for all kinds of travelers. Down on the pool’s edge, under the shade of gently swaying Cottonwoods, families gather on brightly colored blankets with their children, playing games, eating snacks, and jumping in and out of the water. Everywhere children laugh and run.
David Irvin
A graduate with a Masters Of Science from the University Of North Texas, David has written on many beats including crime and business for such outlets as the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the Montgomery Advertiser & USA. He enjoys RVing and surfing the Internet.
Make Sure To Stay At:
Balmorhea State Park, which was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. Swim, scuba or skin dive into the crystal-clear water of the world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool plus geocache and enjoy the unique ciniega at the 34 RV slots onsite.