Greenbelt Is Dry Right Now: Where Austin Is Actually Swimming During This Week's Heat Wave

According to ATX Things analysis of live USGS gauge data, the upper reach of Barton Creek Greenbelt near Loop 360 — the trailhead for Twin Falls and Sculpture Falls — was reading 0.00 cubic feet per second this morning: essentially dry creek bed. With Austin, Texas climbing from 97°F today toward a forecast 104–105°F by midweek and zero rain in the 7-day outlook, the popular swimming holes aren't refilling anytime soon. The good news: the city's two spring-fed pools don't depend on rain at all.

Is Barton Creek Greenbelt actually dry right now?

In the upper Greenbelt near the Twin Falls and Sculpture Falls access points, yes — mostly. The live USGS gauge at Loop 360 (site 08155300) clocked 0 cfs discharge this morning, and the gauge just above Barton Springs itself was down to 0.43 cfs. Only the Lost Creek Blvd gauge further upstream still showed meaningful flow (6.31 cfs). Barton Creek is a "losing stream" through this stretch — in drought conditions, water sinks straight into the porous limestone of the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone before it ever reaches the popular swimming holes, leaving pools stagnant or the creek bed exposed entirely.

That's a real shift from the last time we covered the Greenbelt this spring, when snowmelt-adjacent rain had the falls running and swimmable. Heat waves without rain are exactly when this happens — and exactly when locals default back to the two swimming spots that don't rely on recent rainfall at all.

Where is Austin actually swimming this week?

Two spring-fed pools, both drawing constant 68–70°F water straight from the Edwards Aquifer regardless of what the creek is doing above ground.

Barton Springs Pool sits inside Zilker Park and is fed directly by underground springs, not the creek's surface flow — so it stays full and swimmable through even a dead-dry drought. Admission is $5 for Austin residents / $9 for non-residents (ages 18–62); kids 1–11 are $2/$4, seniors $2/$5, and infants and honorably discharged veterans swim free, per the city's official fee schedule updated this year. Buy tickets at the kiosks outside either entrance, at the cashier window, or ahead of time through the ATXSwims app.

Deep Eddy is the oldest swimming pool in Texas — built in 1915 around a natural eddy on the Colorado River — and it's also spring-fed, filled daily with untreated water straight from the ground. It's smaller and calmer than Barton Springs, with a true zero-depth entry that makes it the easier pick for families with young kids. Same admission structure as Barton Springs ($5 resident / $9 non-resident for adults). One heads-up: starting this spring the pool closes every Tuesday for cleaning, and because it's filled fresh each morning, opening can run a little later than the posted 8 AM if the fill is still catching up.

How hot is it actually getting?

Real numbers, not a vibe: Austin hit its hottest day of 2026 so far on July 22, when the National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning with highs near 104°F and a heat index as high as 115°F, according to KUT. The forecast from here doesn't back off — 97°F today, dipping slightly to 96.5°F Sunday, then a hard climb to 102.6°F Monday and 104–105°F Tuesday through Friday, with a 0% chance of rain across the whole week. That combination — sustained triple-digit heat, no rain — is precisely why the Greenbelt's upper reaches are running dry and why the spring-fed pools are about to get a lot busier.

What locals should know

• Skip the drive to Twin Falls/Sculpture Falls this week — check the live flow numbers above first; a dry creek bed isn't worth the trailhead parking hassle.
• Barton Springs and Deep Eddy don't care about the drought — both are spring-fed and stay full regardless of rainfall.
• Both charge the same city rate: $5 resident / $9 non-resident for adults, with discounts for kids, juniors, and seniors.
• Go early. Both pools get crowded fast once temps clear 100°F, especially on a Saturday.
• Season passes pay off fast if you'll be swimming through the rest of this heat wave — $190/year for a resident adult covers every City of Austin pool.

For deeper intel on either spot — including a full Barton Springs Pool guide with 2026 admission changes and a Deep Eddy Pool feature — see our previous coverage below, and check the Barton Creek Greenbelt Twin & Sculpture Falls swim playbook for what those swimming holes look like when the creek's actually flowing.

FAQ

Is Barton Creek Greenbelt swimmable right now? Not in the upper reaches near Twin Falls and Sculpture Falls — the live USGS gauge at Loop 360 read 0.00 cfs this morning, meaning little to no flow. Always check current gauge readings before driving out, since conditions can change quickly after rain.

Is Barton Springs Pool open during the heat wave? Yes. It's open daily 5 AM–10 PM (with modified Thursday hours for cleaning) and is spring-fed at a constant 68–70°F, so heat and drought don't affect its water level the way they do the Greenbelt.

How hot will it get in Austin this week? Highs run 97°F today, dip to 96.5°F Sunday, then climb to 102–105°F Monday through Friday with no rain forecast, per open-meteo data — consistent with the extreme heat warning the National Weather Service issued July 22.

What's the difference between the pools and the Greenbelt swimming holes? Barton Springs Pool and Deep Eddy Pool are fed directly by underground springs and the Edwards Aquifer, so they stay full year-round. The Greenbelt's Twin Falls and Sculpture Falls depend on recent rain and surface creek flow, which can vanish entirely during a dry heat wave like this one.

Is Deep Eddy Pool good for kids? Yes — it has a true zero-depth entry and a calmer, smaller footprint than Barton Springs, making it an easier pick for families with young kids, though it's now closed every Tuesday for cleaning.