In May 2018, we reported that the Balmorhea State Park pool was closed for an undetermined period of time due to a “structural failure” found during the annual pool draining and cleaning. Since then, public and private initiatives were implemented for the purpose of funding the required repairs, to the tune of approximately $2 million. Now, thanks to a donation of $1 million by an oil and gas company operating in West Texas, the fundraising goal for repairs has been reached.
On Thursday, January 24, 2019, executives of Apache Corporation, based in West Texas, made the trip to Austin, in the Texas Hill Country, to present a check for $1 million to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation. This donation marked the completion of the fundraising initiative for the 1.3-acre Balmorhea State Park pool, much of which was sourced from those who knew and loved the park and its facilities. The TPW Foundation identified that over 575 donations had been received from all over Texas, and 60 percent of those were under $100, from concerned and caring individuals.
