Barton Springs is a set of four natural water springs located at Barton Creek on the grounds of Zilker Park[2] in Austin, Texas, resulting from water flowing through the Edwards Aquifer.

The smaller springs are located nearby, two with man-made structures built to contain and direct their flow.

Some of this rain falls directly onto the area of land where the aquifer limestone rock is exposed, which is known as the recharge zone.

Other rainfall enters into creeks that cross the recharge zone, and infiltrates the limestone bedrock.

Main Barton Spring/Parthenia is the most famous, yet least visible of the four springs because it is completely submerged by pool water.

By comparison, a typical domestic in-ground swimming pool holds about 20,000 US gallons (76 m3), and the City of Austin, a city of about 1 million residents, uses about 120 million US gallons (450,000 m3) per day for its public water supply system.

Each is significantly smaller than Main Barton Spring, discharging an average of 3 million US gallons (11,000 m3) per day.