Saving the Springs: Urban Expansion and Water Quality in Austin - Politics of Urban Runoff: Nature, Technology, and the Sustainable City - page 39

of activist citizens. . . . The Springs refresh, but they also empower those
who love them.” 10
The springs are understood as the material manifestation of the city's
unique culture. When local residents describe the differences between Aus-
tin and larger, more politically conservative cities in Texas, the springs
are inevitably used as a primary example of how Austin is special. 11 A
long-time environmental activist notes, “Houston and Dallas and most
communities do not have a focal point to look at and form an approach
to managing their future. But we have Barton Springs.” 12 In the 1970s,
a popular local campaign called for residents to “Keep Austin Austin,”
and in the last decade, the slogan “Keep Austin Weird” has come to
defi ne a shared desire to retain the unique characteristics of the city. 13 A
local journalist summarizes the connection between Austin's identity and
the springs, stating, “The idea that Barton Springs and Austin are one
and the same, that the Springs do incarnate what separates Austin from
Everywhere Else, and that living in Austin carries with it an obligation to
protect Barton Springs from harm.” 14
Beyond its uniqueness, the community often romanticizes Barton
Springs as a refl ection of past conditions of the city, when the life in
Austin was simpler and was defi ned by more leisure and communal ac-
tivity and less work. The photographic record of the springs from the
1920s to the present suggests that little has changed there in the inter-
vening years; the pool has been frozen in time as a place for relaxation,
fun, and community building. An environmental activist confl ates the
history of the springs with the character of Austin and its residents, not-
ing that the springs are “a symbol of our connection to something really
ancient and old in terms of this amazing, clean, clear water supply, the
history of the Springs. And for people who never swim . . . even for people
who never dip their toe in that water, it stands for a connection to our
history in this town, and everything that is special and unique about
Austin.” 15
The springs offer respite from the hustle and bustle of the increasingly
urbanized surroundings as well as a direct connection between Austinites
and nature. A brochure from the municipality's Parks and Recreation
Department describes the springs as “an island of nature in an ocean of
urban development” and “a natural refuge so close to the heart of down-
town.” 16 This perspective reinforces the common understanding of cities
in opposition to nature. However, upon closer examination, it is clear that
the interpretation of the springs as “pure nature” is disingenuous. The
highly constructed elements of the pool include concrete sidewalls, modern