Voluntary scuba diving to help with the restoration of the Aquarena Springs in Texas

Citizens of San Marcos, Texas will now have the opportunity to volunteer for a special scuba diving mission in which they will help clear up the Aquarena springs at Aquarena Theme Park by hacking down evasive plants as part of the Diving for Science programme launched by the Southwest Texas State University and which will include a swimming experience among turtles.

This rescue scuba diving programme was created soon after said aquatic theme park was purchased by the above-mentioned university for marine research. Originally it was used for monitoring the activity of federal agencies and professors in Spring Lake to protect who entered its waters. Now it has the potential of offering amazing underwater experiences for amateur divers interested in exploring the depths of the Spring Lake during scuba diving holidays in the region.

Image by: scuba.linda, on Flickr

Ron Coley, the director of the Aquarena Springs Center explained: "We needed a way to control the amount of people in Spring Lake, but now we are more comfortable with who can enter the lake,"

"Now people can go through a scuba certification and help with the habitat restoration project", he added.

Those interested in becoming science diver will have the perfect opportunity to enjoy access to full scuba diving lessons as part of the new project. The scuba diving training required to become a qualified science diver takes two days and the course is usually done over the weekend, educating local citizens on the San Marcos River, the Edwards Aquifer, and the many species of plants and animals who inhabit them, both above and underneath the surface.

Local citizens and visitors wanting to go scuba diving in Spring Lake are required to bring their own scuba gear and be certified to be allowed to dive in open water. After the academic portion of the science scuba training, divers are taken to a sectioned-off part of the river for additional training practice and a buoyancy test.

"The test is an obstacle course for the divers to swim through. They also have to carry heavy objects to imitate carrying equipment in the water. We don't want divers to hit the lake bottom, or get close to the glass-bottom boats." revealed the Diving for Science coordinator, Luke Hudnall.

Image by: frenchy912, on Flickr

The training programme for amateur scuba divers usually runs throughout the year, but has been suspended due to the deconstruction of the Aquarena Springs theme park.

"The Army Corps of Engineers is heading this project, so it's their rules," Coley explains as he remains hopeful that soon, after the project is completed in summer, the region will be able to welcome divers on scuba diving holidays to Spring Lake. "They have only allowed a handful of us to dive, but the project will hopefully be completed in early June. Then everyone will be allowed to dive." he added.

But for now the divers that become certified as science divers will participate in the lake's maintenance, such as keeping the springs clear and clean, removing debris and helping conduct marine research with various agencies.

"A lot of what we do is underwater gardening," Hudnall revealed. "When people come here, they might say the lake looks like a regular pond. We want to make sure they can clearly see the springs and what is actually down there."

For the time being trainee scuba divers have a "don't dive alone" policy, so volunteers are sometimes paired with teachers to help them with their research. Hudnall said they help professors collect plant species for their biology lessons, or water samples for the Edwards Aquifer water authority.

Image by: Jon-White, on Flickr

As part of this initiative, voluntary divers participating in the programme also get the chance to have a more personal encounter with the plants and animals in the lake, such as swimming with turtles.

"It's one thing to be in the boat, but when you actually stick your hand by the spring it's a whole other experience," said Max Kammer, environmental resource studies sophomore. "It's really cool when you're part of something special like this."