74:), the level of the Trinity Aquifer has dropped, affecting the flow of water through Jacob's Well. In the modern era, what remains visible of the spring is a faint ripple on the surface of Cypress Creek. The spring ceased flowing for the first time in recorded history in 2000, again ceasing to flow in 2008, 2011, 2013 and 2022. This resulted in now ongoing measures to address local water conservation and quality. Hays County purchased 50 acres (20 ha) of land around Jacob's Well in 2010, in an attempt to protect the spring from development. An additional thirty-one acres was transferred to the county from the neighboring Jacob's Well Natural Area (administered at the time by the Wimberley Valley Watershed Association (WVWA)), the new, eighty-acre (32 hectares) named the Westridge Tract.
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of the Jacob's Well
Exploration Project and has been shown to consist of two principal conduits. One passageway measures approximately 4,500 feet (1,400 m) from the surface with a maximum depth of 137 feet (42 m), and a secondary one extends approximately 1,000 feet (300 m) in length
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Parks
Department. The visitor entrance for JWNA is located at 1699 Mt. Sharp Road in Wimberley, Texas. The 12-foot (3.7 m) diameter mouth of the spring serves as a popular local swimming spot. From the opening in the creek bed, Jacob's Well cave descends vertically for about 30 feet
63:(9.1 m), then continues downward at an angle through a series of silted chambers separated by narrow restrictions, finally reaching an average depth of 120 feet (37 m). Until the modern era, the Trinity Aquifer-fed natural
94:, some of whom are inexperienced with the specialized techniques and equipment used in cave diving, which has resulted in nine fatalities at this site between 1964 and 1984 (eight men and one woman).
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Dedden, John Eric. "The
Hydrology and Biology of Cypress Creek (Hays County), a Subtropical Karstic Stream in South Central Texas." Texas State University-San Marcos.
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Dedden, John Eric. "The
Hydrology and Biology of Cypress Creek (Hays County), a Subtropical Karstic Stream in South Central Texas." Texas State University-San Marcos.
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gushed water from the mouth of the cave, with a measured flow in 1924 of 170 US gallons per second (640 L/s), discharging 6 feet (1.8 m) into the air.
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The
Hydrology and Biology of Cypress Creek (Hays County), a Subtropical Karstic Stream in South Central Texas
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https://web.archive.org/web/20160821190456/http://www.karstportal.org/FileStorage/Texas_Caver/1984-v29-n02.pdf
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325:"Horseback Magazine Online." "Iconic Jacob’s Well Saved From Development in Texas." December 21, 2010.
122:"Horseback Magazine Online." "Iconic Jacob’s Well Saved From Development in Texas." December 21, 2010.
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Price, Asher. "50 acres added to Jacob's Well." "Austin
American Statesman." December 20, 2010.
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Tipps, Jonhy. Come Dive in Jacob's Well with Me. The Texas Caver. Vol. 29. Pages 23-31 (1984).
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Harrigan, Stephan. Down in the Depths. Texas
Monthly. Vol. 8. Pages 97-99 and 162-166 (1980).
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The spring is located on the property of Jacob's Well
Natural Area (JWNA), managed by the
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Due to excessive pumping to meet supply demands by Aqua Texas (a subsidiary of
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Horseback
Magazine Online: Iconic Jacob’s Well Saved From Development in Texas
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275:"Jacob's Well stops flowing due to drought, increased pumping"
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Texas Living Waters
Project: Jacob's Well Stops Flowing (PDF)
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Alternet: Behind Texas's Looming Crisis: Groundwater Scarcity
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Express and News. San Antonio, Texas. Page 1. 19 July 1964.
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flowing from the bed of Cypress Creek, located northwest of
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Austin American Statesman: 50 acres added to Jacob's Well
182:"Bond, Louie. "The Fatal Allure of JACOB'S WELL." 2001.
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from the point where it diverges from the main conduit.
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Hill Country Outdoor Guide: Jacob's Well Natural Area
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http://www.visitwimberley.com/jacobswell/index.shtml
16:Perennial karstic spring in the Texas Hill Country
394:Paris News. Paris, Texas. Page 5. 25 Nov., 1983.
482:Texas Tribune: Texas Debates Who Owns Its Water
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487:Texas Observer: The End of the Hill Country
82:The system has been explored and mapped by
544:Limestone formations of the United States
150:"Jacob's Well Natural Area - Hays County"
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172:http://ecommons.txstate.edu/bioltad/14/
112:http://ecommons.txstate.edu/bioltad/14/
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258:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
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554:Protected areas of Hays County, Texas
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195:Wilder, Forrest (23 October 2023) .
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31:Jacob's Well and its surroundings.
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452:Jacob's Well Exploration Project
509:The Fatal Allure of JACOB'S WELL
357:Jacob's Well Exploration Project
302:"50 acres added to Jacob's Well"
539:Landforms of Hays County, Texas
209:from the original on 2023-10-23
197:""Who's Killing Jacob's Well?""
273:Horne, Justin (28 July 2022).
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226:"Jacob's Well Stops Flowing."
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457:Jacob's Well Natural Area
549:Nature reserves in Texas
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362:11 February
84:cave divers
60:Hays County
54:Description
518:Categories
353:"The Well"
338:2011-04-11
312:2011-04-11
245:2011-04-11
213:2023-10-23
135:2011-04-11
98:References
422:98°7′34″W
495:Archived
419:30°2′4″N
279:KSAT.com
254:cite web
207:Archived
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42:in the
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