On June 28, Hays County officials issued a temporary closure of the Jacob’s Well Natural Area beginning June 29 with no firm reopen date expected for the foreseeable future.
In a statement, county officials highlighted high bacteria levels and other pollutants as well as poor visibility, making for conditions that are considered unsafe. However, hiking and outdoor activities other than swimming are allowed.
“Our parks staff saw that the water was stagnant, and there was some algae sitting on top of the water, so it was out of an abundance of caution that they decided to not allow swimming,” said Kim Hilsenbeck, director of communications for Hays County, in an email. “We could use a whole lot more rain.”
