Graham Rice is one of the tour guides and drivers of the Aquarena Center's glass bottom boats. He has been working at Aquarena Center and with Aquarena Springs for three years.

Aquarena Springs: the theme park

Over the years several generations have visited Aquarena Springs.Aquarena Springs was founded in 1949 by Paul Rogers, who purchased the land from his parents.Rogers purchased the land with the vision of creating a popular theme park in the central Texas area.Aquarena featured a submersible underwater theatre that was considered an engineering marvel in the 1952 edition of Popular Mechanics. Early on the theme park became popular with the help off Ralph the swimming pig and the frolicking underwater mermaid dancers. Another addition to Aqaurena Springs, some time around 1959 was a sky gondola, from this the sky-ride was created. The sky-ride became one the most popular attractions at the springs.the most popular attraction at Aquarena Springs past and present has to be the glass bottom boat tours.The glass bottom tours have been giving families tours of the springs for over 50 years.Another featured attraction was a ride in a round car up a needle-like tower to give a panoramic view of the area. For many Texans the springs was a great vacation and tourist attractions, but for some they viewed as a disturbance to nature. They didn't like that what was once for thousands of years a sacred place to the indigenous people, is now a tourist attraction. Overall Aquarena Springs has been a positive addition to San Marcos.

Aquarena Springs Today

By: Michael Ullom

Aquarena Center is an educational center in San Marcos, Texas that is devoted to the conservation of the unique archeological and biological resources of Spring Lake. The spring and resort was purchased by Texas State University in 1991 and continued to be used as a theme park and resort.

In February 1996 the university took an environmentalist step in restoring the natural beauty and dignity of the spring. The university voted to change the facility from a theme park into a more educational and learning facility.

The theme park rides and mermaid shows were eliminated from the park. The rides were removed to give the spring a less cluttered look. The underwater theatre was used for educational workshops instead of mermaid shows.

The site is now known as Aquarena Center and has exhibits on endangered species and many archeological artifacts discovered in the area. The center also offers glass bottom boat and kayak tours, educational tours and a wetland boardwalk.

The Aquarena Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Project is currently underway at Aquarena Center. The project is focusing on removing old theme park structures that are underwater and on the banks of the spring. There is no exact date for completion of the project but the goal is to be done by next summer.

The early history of Aquarena Springs

By June Leal

San Marcos’ Aquarena Springs is one of the greatest outflows from the Edwards Aquifers. More than 200 springs are made from three large fissures and smaller fissures.

The earliest European settlers to visit the spring were members of the Domingo Teran de los Rios in June of 1691. They spent a few days camped there while they rounded up some horses. Many more expeditions visited the springs and there was also a short-lived Spanish settlement in 1755. In the same year, many missions on the San Gabriel River were abandoned and re-established briefly on the San Marcos River.

In 1808, Don Filipe Roque de la Portilla established another Spanish settlement along the San Marcos River. By 1812, the settlement was abandoned due to severe flooding and harassment from the Tonkawa and Comanche Indian tribes.

Later in 1831, Juan Martin de Veramendi received a land grant that contained the springs. In 1840 the land was sold to Nathaniel Lewis and five years later General Edward Burleson bought the land from Lewis. A few years later, Burleson built a dam across the San Marcos River to run a gristmill, which flooded the springs and formed Spring Lake.

By the last half of the 19^th century, the land was spilt up and the water from the springs was used to power grists, sawmills, an ice factory and electric works.

Through out the history of the springs, it passed through various owners and was used for various resources.

source:

http://edwardsaquifer.net/sanmarcos.html

Endangered Species Of Aquarena Springs

By: Katie Baker

Aquarena Springs’ Spring Lake, the San Marcos River and
Edwards Aquifer are home to eight endangered or threatened animal and plant
species.

The threatened Texas blind salamander and the endangered Texas
wild-rice are among the most well-known species that are found only in the
waters of Aquarena Springs and the upper 4.5 miles of the San Marcos River. The Texas blind salamander lives in the Edwards Aquifer, which is the water source that feeds the springs. The
San Marcos gambusia is a fish which has not been seen in the wild for almost 30
years. The other endangered species are the fountain darter (a fish); Comal
Spring’s riffle beetle, Comal Spring’s dyropid beetle and the Peck's cave
amphipod.

The ecosystem of the upper 4.5 miles of the San Marcos River
is very unique. The United States Fish and Wildlife services and Texas Parks
and Wildlife declare the area a “Critical Habitat.” A “Critical Habitat” is
when there are endangered species living in a given environment then the area
of that species in protected in order to protect the species. Aquarena Springs is dedicated to the
preservation of these species and their habit.

The launch pad for the old sky-ride gondola.

Wetland area of Spring Lake.