Swimmers queue at the diving board before jumping into the cool waters of Barton Springs Pool on July 6. The pool is home to several species of fish.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Patricia Bobeck has been a regular at Austin’s famed Barton Springs Pool for the past 50 years. She heads out there pretty much every day to take a few laps in the pool’s cool water, and she occasionally enjoys snorkeling its 18-foot depths. A hydrogeologist by trade, she loves to take a peek under the water to marvel at the various species that call the pool home.
“That place is a real treasure. It’s like an aquarium,” Bobeck said. “It’s just beautiful. That’s why I go there every day.”
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But on a recent snorkeling trip, something unusual caught Bobeck’s eye: a large, bluish fish about two feet long swam right by her.
“This was the first time I had seen a fish this big in Barton Springs,” she said. “It was a good two feet long and big around — fat.”
She suspects the massive creature was an Asian grass carp. Others on social media have reported seeing a large carp in the pool.
Fish have always been a part of the Barton Springs ecosystem, but carp are not usually found there, according to Austin Watershed Protection, the city department that looks after the health of Austin’s waterways. Grass carp and common carp are found in Lady Bird Lake, the agency said.
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Although she hadn’t witnessed it herself, Bobeck told the Austin Parks and Recreation Board at a recent meeting that she had heard rumors about a clandestine fisherman secretly introducing the species into the pool. She said in her public comments, which later spread on social media, that the person could be catching fish in Lady Bird Lake and releasing them into the pool under the cover of darkness for some indiscernible reason.
“Maybe that guy threw the carp into the pool as a show of strength and manliness,” she told the Statesman. “I mean, who knows?”
There’s no evidence anyone is sneaking into the pool at night to put fish in the water, Austin Watershed Protection said. But it is possible that Bobeck spotted a carp, especially given the recent rainfall and flooding in Central Texas.
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“It is not clear which species of fish the resident observed in the pool; however, carp and similar species have been seen in the Barton Springs system in the past,” the agency wrote in a statement. “Fish can enter Barton Springs Pool from Lady Bird Lake or Barton Creek during a flood.”
Grass carp are not native to North America, but sterile fish were introduced into Austin waterways decades ago to help control invasive hydrilla, an aquatic plant that can cause problems for boaters and swimmers. Neither grass carp nor common carp pose an ecological threat to the springs, Austin Watershed Protection said.
“While the likelihood of either carp entering Barton Springs Pool is very low, the presence of one would not pose a significant concern,” the statement said.
Visitors swim in Barton Springs Pool on July 26. Officials say flooding can occasionally carry fish from Barton Creek or Lady Bird Lake into the pool.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Bobeck could have seen one of the other species of fish that call Barton Creek and the pool home, Austin Watershed Protection said.
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“Barton Creek hosts similar native species, including the Gray Redhorse … which is commonly found in the area and could easily be mistaken for a carp,” the agency wrote.
Dozens of species are found in the springs and nearby waters, including bass, sunfish, catfish and crappie. The watershed is also home to the endangered Barton Springs Salamander, which is only found there.
Despite the aquatic biodiversity, collecting fish from Barton Springs Pool is illegal. So is putting fish into the pool, as Bobeck speculated a rogue fisherman is doing.
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“Introducing fish into Barton Springs Pool or fishing in the protected facility is prohibited. Entering the pool during unauthorized hours is considered trespassing and a criminal offense,” Austin Watershed Protection said. “The City encourages anyone who witnesses individuals engaging in unauthorized activities at the pool to report the behavior to 311.”