What else could bubble up at Balmorhea

Protected in Balmorhea State Park, San Solomon Springs forms a rare oasis in the West Texas desert. Some potential new neighbors could raise new risks for Balmorhea's delicate desert wetland.

After our West Texas trip wrapped, we missed a curious news item from Balmorhea. An oil firm, the Apache Corporation, plans to drill thousands of wells in the country around Balmorhea State Park, hoping to extract 15 billion barrels of oil and gas.

Apache has voluntarily vowed there will be no drilling under the park or the nearby city of Balmorhea, where San Solomon Springs feed a reservoir. Every day 22 million gallons of water flows from San Solomon Springs, water that originates in the David Mountains then rises back up at the spring.

The original springs lie at the bottom of a swimming pool constructed around them during the Great Depression, but the park houses two cienegas that restored the springs' original look and contain rare species like the Comanche Springs pupfish. All that water from San Solomon Springs also feeds nearby Balmorhea Lake, a 556-acre reservoir without which desert farming might be impossible.

Despite a vow from the oil company not to dig under the park, the potential issues with the aquifer below the park do not inspire confidence. Despite the tourism draw of Balmorhea, the area is economically depressed, and jobs tied to drilling would boost a struggling town.

Would I be bothered as much by another unique environment facing industrial encroachment? Maybe not. Having taken a few dips in Balmorhea, I understand how unique this space is.

But I almost understand Balmorhea State Park and San Solomon Springs occupy just 46 acres in an empty swatch of quiet desert and sporadic farmland. It has no control of the land beyond its fences. Apache plans up to 3,000 wells over 20 years - as is their right. They own the mineral rights, and as a lawyer quoted in a Houston Chronicle article mentioned, "This is Texas."

But one spill or some underground contamination or damage to the aquifer could harm this fragile ecosystem. I'd worry about the damage to the aquifer. I don't want to think about the clear pool that hosts the springs or the wetlands sullied by oil. It's a place of such rich wilderness. The speed at which the water flows out of the aquifer could make it difficult to contain any potential spill.

This rare treasure will end up surrounded by wells. The only question is whether drilling activities will someday spoil the serenity and biology of San Solomon Springs.