Recent rains transform Natural Bridge Caverns Web Posted: 07/14/2007 01:37 AM CDT Jerry Needham Express-News Water fell from stalactites like raindrops in the lower reaches of Natural Bridge Caverns on Friday as a temporary crystal-clear river surged toward springs, seeps and kitchen taps. Owners of the commercial attraction northeast of San Antonio offered members of the news media a peek at how the local limestone aquifer system works after recent heavy rains flooded the bottom portion of the cave. The cavern had about 57 feet of water in it Friday, reaching up to a depth about 150 feet below ground surface, said Lance Montgomery, safety manager at the caverns. That's down about 3 feet from its crest last week, he said, noting that most of the facility's regular tours still are occurring and are enhanced by the extra water. "With all the recent rain, the water table has risen up from beneath the cavern and filled these lower portions and that's what you're seeing around you," he said. "This is basically the water supply for all the people living in the countryside around here. "It's an out-of-the ordinary event," Montgomery said. "This only happens during these large rain events like we've just had. This shows our guests how an aquifer system works, and that's pretty important for people here in San Antonio because we get all of our water from the Edwards Aquifer. This isn't the Edwards; it's the Glen Rose/Trinity Aquifer. But it still works the same way." Fast and heavy drops made it look and sound like it was raining in the Castle of the White Giants, a huge room of stalagmites, columns and stalactites. Alongside the towering formations, currents rippled in a clear river that flowed through Grendel's Canyon, believed to be the original conduit for water through what's now the caverns. "It's Mother Nature doing her thing," Montgomery said. "So many of our guests are repeat visitors and when they come back and see water in it, it's a totally different experience for them." He said the water doesn't flood in from above, but slowly rises from below as the aquifer begins refilling from all the rainfall runoff. He said officials saw water levels 35 feet higher during an extended rainy period in 1998. "It is unusual to be able to see an aquifer recharging," said Brian Vauter, cave geologist for Natural Bridge Caverns. "It's definitely a treat to be able to see the forces which created this place — to see the water up inside the cave, to hear all the water just running as if it's like raining down here. "The question is, where is all that water headed to?" Vauter said. "Nobody knows." Grendel's Canyon a short distance away intersects the Bat Cave Fault, where the water could stay in the Glen Rose Aquifer or be diverted into the Edwards Aquifer, he said. Officials with other commercial caves in the area — Cave Without a Name and Cascade Caverns, both near Boerne — said Friday that any excess water that entered their caves from the heavy rains has now drained. _http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA071407.04B.caverns.3137a0c .html_ (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA071407.04B.caverns.3137a0c.html)
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