Bluebonnet Hole

[FIXXERVI6]

I may be wrong, but it seems I heard this was the gravel pit they used to help build the dam. THere is supposed to be old buckets and stuff there.

THis might make for a goos boat trip on the LT weekend I posted about. We're talking about renting one or more boats to get to places the shore divers don't usually get to see.

Mack

On google maps it looks like there is an old road that goes STRAIGHT to that hole so that makes sense.

Bummer man, bummer, I'm all depressed now.

 

[texdiveguy]

http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=Marble+Falls,+TX

In viewing the satl. images,,,,I see know evdc. of a deep hole at the bend ..... many times you will note shade degrees in the photo for depth. What evidence is there that this 'deep' hole exsists? PS---Willie took care of that question in his post below!!!! It is there..

 

[FIXXERVI6]

I mean google earth

 

[daniel f aleman]

That would be a technical dive, I would want to do it with a couple of practice dives first. Reallt sounds interesting though. Someone might want to talk to Ron Carlisle at Oak Hill Scuba, he might know something.

 

[captjohn]

You will not get a boat neer the hole till the lake fills back up with water.
You might get close but not to it.

 

[Willie]

I have been trying to get some info on this spot for a bit now. I have made a contact at the LCRA and today he sent the following update. I have edited the email to just provide the little bit of info it contains from different sources. The first quote from my contact. The other two quotes from emails he received while inquiring. I will provide more when I get it.

"Willie, this is all I've managed to find out since we last talked. No one is quite sure of the hole's history. But, we do know it's there. I'll keep poking and see if I can find something out."

"About all I know is this is an area known for its productive catfishing. I believe the locals just call it Blue Hole. You will see many boats anchored around this area in the spring and summers. As far as the depth, I did not realize just how deep it is, I would guess that since the river takes a left turn just downstream, the water velocities have eroded out this deep hole."

"I do not know the history of Bluebonnet Hole, LCRA history files may ... I do know that the area in question goes from depths from about 5' to below 100' in a cricle of about 75 yards across. Hopes this helps."​

I am also attaching a blow up of the area from an LCRA map. It is a smaller detail from the same map as used in post 20 on this thread.

Willie

 

[Willie]

I am attaching an aerial photo of the area and a section from the topo map. Both are from Terraserver. There is a definite ridgeline that proceeds N-S in the photo on either side of the river. I suspect that ridge is visible underwater and the hole was created below it during flood stages. That would also explain the widening of the river just below this ridgeline as well. Might be a wall dive.

Willie

 

[texdiveguy]

Great job Willie on the investigative work---the hole actually is there and not a myth as some have said....the topo is helpful!!

 

[DandyDon]

How interesting. I can see where all of the suggested origins could be true. The river flowing over the ridge line digs out a hole, striking the aquifer to produce spring action, and the dam builders capitalize on it at the time mining gravel from it perhaps. I see there is another spring down stream from it. It's beyond my training for now (and I'm trying to keep myself within that ) but looks like an interesting drop.

Here are some shots I captured from Google Earth. I wonder how close that road coming off of 2147 gets to it, if it's on private land, and about the risk of being swept downstream. I've never dived a river.

 

[TexasScubaDiver]

Thanks for posting all of the pics. Viz is not looking too great but perhaps it clears up periodically.