Barton Springs Pool will close Feb. 23 to March 13, 2026 for skimmer bypass work

Temporary closure targets aging infrastructure inside sensitive spring habitat

Barton Springs Pool will close temporarily beginning the week of Feb. 23 through March 13, 2026, as city crews undertake maintenance tied to the Barton Springs Skimmer Bypass Project. The work is aimed at addressing safety and environmental concerns connected to an older “bypass” structure dating to the 1940s.

The closure is designed to allow construction activities to proceed during the winter, when demand is typically lower, while also creating an opportunity for additional deferred maintenance inside the pool area ahead of the spring season. City staff have indicated they plan to bundle other projects into the shutdown period where feasible.

What is being repaired and why it matters

The project centers on removing some or all sections of a decommissioned skimmer bypass—an older piece of infrastructure that was found to be undermined and potentially unstable during routine inspection and maintenance. A feasibility study evaluated options and concluded that removal offered the best balance of cost, feasibility, and timeline.

City officials have also emphasized that the conditions driving the 2026 project are separate from an emergency repair completed at the pool in 2024.

The project will remove portions of a 1940s-era bypass after inspections found sections that were undermined and potentially unstable.

Environmental safeguards during construction

Barton Springs Pool sits within an endangered-species habitat, and the planned work requires protective measures for the Barton Springs salamander. The city has stated it will use avoidance and minimization steps during removal and remediation activities, with watershed protection staff present onsite to monitor work and address habitat impacts.

Federal wildlife authorities have concurred that removal and remediation activities are allowed under the pool’s habitat conservation framework and related permit structure. The city has described the work as potentially beneficial to the species by reconnecting habitat areas that have been separated by erosion.

What visitors should plan for

Outside of special closures, the pool normally operates daily except for a weekly Thursday cleaning window. Regular posted hours show early-morning and late-evening “swim at your own risk” periods, with guarded swim hours during the day.

During the Feb. 23–March 13 closure, swimmers will need to choose other city aquatic facilities. The city maintains a list of alternative swimming locations and operating hours, and has indicated it will provide project updates as work progresses.

• Closure window: week of Feb. 23 through March 13, 2026
• Primary work: skimmer bypass removal/remediation tied to 1940s infrastructure
• Additional work: deferred maintenance inside the pool area, as schedules allow
• Environmental oversight: onsite monitoring and measures for endangered-species habitat