A recent study of the pool's water quality by city officials found increases in turbidity, and some trace chemicals. But they didn't find significant increases in nitrogen, the constituent most often blamed for algae blooms. So while increased levels of nutrients and contaminants are doubtless a continuing threat to Barton Springs, the city's new data appears to provide more ammunition for critics who blame the city's maintenance procedures. The Barton Springs Polar Bear Club complained in a recent letter to Mayor Kirk Watson that the new procedures have eliminated a great deal of wildlife that used to be found in the pool. The cold weather swimmers point out that in years past, it was common to see carp, bass, large minnows, and even an occasional turtle in Barton Springs Pool.
Some critics say city and federal authorities have been working on the wrong issue.
They focused on restricting the cleaning of the pool when they should have been upstream, restricting land development projects. And it's so tragically sad when you look at it and compare it to what it used to be. It's the irony of the effort to save the salamander. If you save the salamander, you kick out the people. But Stevens is not ready to condemn federal authorities for the new policies at the pool.