Jacob's Well

Jacob's Well has had low flow all summer. A local groundwater conservation district believes it may be tied to a utility company pumping twice the amount of water permitted last year.

David Baker, executive director of The Watershed Association, a nonprofit conservation group, says this is the worst he's seen the well in over three decades.

The swimming hole in Wimberley will likely remain closed for the rest of the summer. The region's experience with droughts and an increase in private wells are causing a strain on the nearby aquifer.

It was supposed to open May 1, but an intense drought has caused the flow of water to reach an unsafe level. Conditions will need to change before the swimming hole reopens.

The news comes at a time when Central Texas is already dealing with one of the hottest and driest summers on record and bracing for even more heat and drought conditions in the coming months.

The popular swimming hole in Wimberley is a gauge for the aquifer beneath. Drought and more development threaten the waterflow — and the local economy that depends on it.