Barton Creek Time Stream

Let me tell you about the Barton Creek Time Stream.

On a day when there’s water in Barton Creek, it’s a running oasis refreshing visitors.  It’s a source of joy and a scene of friendship.  And Barton Springs is our city’s main attraction in the world.  But the creek and the springs have many facets.  No savage clans ever fought harder over a source of water than the people of Austin have fought outsiders and each other over Barton Creek and Barton Springs.  And preserving those waters has been a labor of love for many.

So the creek and the springs have touched many lives in many ways.  They have left sweet dreams and memories, but also scars and bitterness.  It’s a big story.  And Karen Kocher has done much to tell that story, or those stories. 

Karen’s latest work, the Barton Creek Time Stream, is a great attraction that you won’t see at Barton Springs this summer, thanks to the pandemic.  But, you can see it in a virtual tour on September 10 at 6:30 pm.

Early this year, Karen invited folks to write something for the exhibit.  I wrote about some of my experiences with the creek and the springs, and she whipped me through several rewrites until she was happy with it.  She gave me permission to post it here.

My essay comes in three parts.  First is a short history of my involvement with the springs.  It’s not so short.  Second is a short paean to the dynamic geology of the aquifer, the creek, and the springs.  Third is a tutorial in how, when the creekflow is good, you can climb the creekbed horizontally.

All this might start you thinking about getting involved with the creek and the springs yourself.  You ought to.  It’s fun, and there’s a lot to do.

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