Big Bend National Park
On December 23—right at the peak of the busy holiday season—the water pumps at Oak Spring, which supplies water to the Chisos Basin, failed completely. “The park is urgently trying to expedite repair of the pumps, and there is no current timeline for when that repair will occur,” park spokesperson Don Corrick wrote in a press release.
The park has since enacted “Stage 2” water restrictions to conserve the remaining water. Porta-potties are currently in place and guests should expect to pack in all water needed for hiking and camping. “The park asks that campers, Lodge guests, and other visitors to the Chisos Basin do their part to conserve water so that the Basin can stay open for as long as possible,” Corrick explained. “When water levels in the storage tanks drop to the minimum needed for firefighting, closure of the area may be required.”
Park leadership has been concerned about the potential failure of the aging Oak Springs infrastructure for years—leading to the launch of a pricey project funded by the Biden administration’s Great American Outdoors Act. The $22 million overhaul will build a new lodge and restaurant in addition to modernizing the Basin’s water infrastructure.
The Basin was scheduled to be closed for several years earlier this summer, but the process of going out for bids from contractors was repeatedly delayed. That work is now scheduled to begin in May of this year, prompting Brewster County officials to figure out how to keep a steady flow of tourists coming to the parks despite confusion around the Basin’s potential closure.
All other parts of the park are open and functioning normally. Drinking water can be purchased outside the park at the Motor Inn and Cottonwood Stores in Study Butte.