Nature’s mysteries dwell in and around Jacob's Well

By MONETTE TAYLOR | South Central Texas Edition

Jacob's Well is considered a "sacred place" and it's many mysteries have visitors to the site in Wimberley enthralled. The depth of the well has not ever been found; but divers have found it has four chambers, the deepest is about 85 feet.  -- Staff photo by Taylor

Oct. 20, 2005 - When David Baker first moved his family to the South Central Texas town of Wimberley in 1987, he knew it was a special place. By 1990, with a young son named Jacob, he discovered just how special it really was!

It was that year that Baker purchased some property that is home to “Jacob’s Well,” a perpetual artesian spring that produces the water that formed Cypress Creek.

Centuries ago, Native Americans considered Jacob’s Well as a “sacred place,” and early settlers to Wimberley thought of the well as the “heart” of Wimberley. Over the years, the area has become home to endangered species of plants, as well as a habitat to wildlife.

Walking down to Jacob’s Well on stone steps placed in 1958, it’s almost impossible not to feel drawn to the well and creek. For many decades, swimmers and divers have visited the mysterious well … some frightened, and some seemingly drawn to it by a magical allure.

Baker, who formed the Wimberley Valley Watershed Association (WVWA) in hopes of keeping Jacob’s Well for other generations to enjoy, noted that with the growth of Wimberley, there have been around 700 new groundwater wells drilled in the past few years. This causes a depletion of spring water and affects water conservation in the entire area.

Working with scientific divers, Baker noted there are several chambers in the well. The first chamber has a water depth of about 85 feet, after it angles off, underground. The second chamber is reported to be a long funnel that goes another 80 feet, and a third chamber with a small room and unstable gravel floor. A fourth chamber is said to go 15 feet deeper. Throughout the years, a number of divers, both amateur and experienced, have lost their lives making dives into the depths of Jacob’s Well.

It’s not hard to imagine why divers would be intrigued by the thought of actually finding the bottom of the well, but no one knows just where that is; and a dive of 90 feet is considered the safe level for a dive. 

The water from the well stays at a cool 66 degrees all year, but still attracts swimmers.

The WVWA is creating the Jacob’s Well Preserve to protect the land around the well, and to educate the community of management practices that will help to sustain this natural resource. 

Only one time has the well stopped flowing, and that was in the summer of 2000. Baker said that even during the drought in the 1950s, the well continued to flow. In 1924, it was documented that the spring was flowing at 170 gallons per second, which must have been something to see.

It is hoped that local citizens, as well as visitors to Jacob’s Well, will understand what a special place is located in the area. Baker explained he loves that the area is a place where nature has created such an “inspirational” place for visitors, as well as a “sense of awe” as to where the water actually comes from, and … the constant question of the actual depth of the well.

The hardest part of working with the WVWA and Jacob’s Well is the impact that the growth of the area has had on water supplies in the past few years, although Baker said that 99 percent of the people in the area are respectful of the property. He enjoys being able to share the area with local families and visitors. 

Perhaps the Native Americans were correct. With Jacob’s Well still mysterious and beautiful, it could well be a “sacred area.”

(On the Internet: www.visitwimberley.com or E-mail: JAWELL@aol.com)