 Spring (Back) in Love with the GreenbeltCelebrate Valentine’s Day by exploring Barton Creek on SOS’s first 2026 eco-tour! Join our expert SOS staff guides and Dane Smith, Vice Chairman of the Texas Speleological Society, an organization bringing together cavers across Texas since 1956 to study, protect, and explore the state’s caves. Dane will lead the group through Backdoor Spring and Backdoor Cave, two hidden gems in the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone. Along the way, learn about karst geology, local flora and fauna, and the critical role these waterways play in Austin’s environment. This guided hike includes both cave and creek adventure, and is perfect for geology enthusiasts, nature lovers, or anyone looking for a memorable Valentine’s Day experience.
We are expecting a big turnout for this special kick off tour, so grab your spot now!  Central Texas is facing a surge of proposed industrial data centers that strain our water supply, increase electricity costs, and threaten local waterways with chemical contamination. You can make a difference: join the public pressure campaign to contact the Crystal Clear Special Utility District and San Marcos City Council. Your voice helps ensure officials prioritize residents, uphold drought protections, and reject unnecessary, water-intensive industrial projects. If you’re looking for a concrete way to help right now, the public pressure campaign created by our friends at the Data Center Action Coalition puts the power of the pen to work. This easy guide gives you clear ways to contact local utility leaders and elected officials and push back against water-guzzling data center proposals right away. One action will take less than 5 minutes. Upcoming Opportunities to Join the Fight Against Data Centers:
 Drought Watch: A Noticeable Drop in SpringflowFor more than seven years, I’ve been a near-daily swimmer at Barton Springs, often snorkeling through clear water among bass and cichlids, eel grass and cobomba stands that all depend on steady springflow to thrive. This week, near one of the main spring vents where on a winter day one might normally feel a strong heated current, the pulse was barely noticeable, and clouds of algae are steadily spreading across plants that rely on consistent flow to survive.
The springs are the canary in the coal mine, and this majestic place is already showing clear signs of strain. The Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD) warns that groundwater conditions are approaching historic lows. The region has now endured 43 consecutive months of drought, driven by well below-average rainfall, record heat, and rapidly growing demand. Barton Springs flow is less than a quarter of its historical average settling at around 11 cfs since late January. We are on the brink of Stage 4 Emergency Response Period, an unprecedented drought stage in the District’s 39-year history. A Stage 4 declaration would bring significant pumping limitations to protect springflow and the long-term health of the aquifer. “Thousands and thousands of households between Austin and San Marcos depend on well water for their daily needs,” said Charlie Flatten, General Manager of BSEACD. “It is critical that we cut back on outdoor use and conserve for indoor use only.” The question is, if we don’t act now to conserve and support smarter water management, what will Barton Springs and the aquifer it depends on look like in the years ahead? You can read the full BSEACD drought update here and use the resources listed below. Go ahead and start conversations with friends and neighbors who may not realize how to make a difference.
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