Balmorhea State Park

The Balmorhea State Park is located six kilometers southwest of Balmorhea to Fort Davis at the Texas State Route 17 in Reeves County of the U.S. state of Texas. In the 977 -meter-high 19 -acre State Park is located with the San Solomon Spring an artesian spring with a daily bed between 35000-44000 hectoliters per hour.

History

Native American artifacts that were found in the area suggest that the source water is already a long time was used before the discovery by white settlers. 1849, the source Mescalero Spring was called because the Mescalero Indians there watering their horses. Already in the 1930s, a 7000 -square-foot swimming pool was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps ( CCC), which is fed from the source. The original source swamp ( Cienaga ) was doing badly damaged, as the pelvis, the associated sanitary facilities, a motel and other buildings were built in the Spanish colonial style. 1968, the State Park was opened.

Infrastructure

More than 200,000 visitors a year (July 2006) use the Balmorhea State Park, with its opportunities for swimming and diving, his play and picnic areas or nature watching on barrier- free paths. Overnight parking is available at the motel and camping. The clear spring water, whose catchment area extends to the Davis Mountains has, throughout the year, only small variations in temperature 22-24 ° C. An observation platform facilitates the views over the grounds, and a special system allows you to view, such as in an aquarium with three thick slices laterally below the water surface of the San Solomon Cienaga.

Flora and Fauna

The excess water of the swimming pool is fed into several channels, some of which were previously applied by farmers for irrigation. In 1995, the San Solomon Cienaga a wetland that is fed from the channel network created. Two endangered species of fish, Comanche Springs pupfish ( Cyprinodon elegans) and Pecos gambusia ( Gambusia nobilis ), which inhabit waters as well as Astyanax mexicanus, grass perch, red-bellied snake swimming and soft-shelled turtles.

Creosote bush, mesquite, acacia trees, Cottonwood and the catalpa greenhouse Chilopsis linearis additional habitat for Vermilion Flycatcher, Black Phoebe head tyrant, Bullock Oriole, belted kingfisher, Carolina crake and Green Heron.

At night, foxes, coyotes, bobcats and peccaries can approach from the environment.

South-east of Balmorhea is the Balmorhea Lake, which is fed by more artesian springs in the area. The water level in the lake is subject to there because of the evaporation strong fluctuations and the canal network is a network of biotopes given. Overall, more than 300 bird species can be observed in this area.