Howdy from Buffalo Gap, TX

[jamyers]

Glad to be registered here finally, been lurking and reading for awhile.

I work on an inground plaster 40 X 80 144,000 gallon main pool with a 3,000gallon wading pool, surrounded by huge oak and pine trees in a west Texas oasis called Buffalo Gap. This pool was built in 1985, *inside* the original 55 x 110, 300,000gal pool which was originally built somewhere around 1925.

The original pool had no filtration / circulation, just a well pump w/ bromine injector that went to the shallow end and an overflow at the deep end. After 60 years of that, the State Health Dep't finally said we had to update, so the current system was built.

The current system consists of 2 pumps (1 old Challenger bronze open-face impeller and 1 newer Challenger II plastic closed impeller) and 2 large Pentair Triton 140 sand filters for the main pool, and one 3/4hp pump and filter on the wading pool. All pumps run pretty much 24/7 during the season. Off season, we shut everything down and pull a gigantic tarp over the pool and put it to bed.

Anyways, just wanted to introduce meself.

James Myers

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome

Post up some pictures of that monster :-D

 

[Txmat]

Welcome. It's always nice to have another Texan.

 

[anonapersona]

Buffalo Gap, what a cool name. I bet there is a story there.....

 

[aa62579]

Is that the big one by Lake Abilene? Spent a lot of time around Abilene growing up, but never got to go there when I was young or thin enough to be seen in a swimsuit in public!

 

[jamyers]

Thanks for the welcomes!

aa62579, You're thinking of the Abilene State Park pool, I'm located in Buffalo Gap, right across from the Town Hall and Fire Department.

And yes, the town is named Buffalo Gap because it's located in the middle of a gap in the line of hills known as the "Callahan Divide", back when Indians roamed free this gap was a natural 'funnel' for migrating buffalo. Lots of old Indian sites and artifacts around here.

Here's a pic from the first year I worked here, 2008.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

I'm trying to imagine a pool as large as the one you describe that was built in 1925!! It was mind boggling enormous and I wonder how they managed the water back then?? Kind of interesting that they built the newer (smaller) yet still enormous pool in the same space. As this appears to be a public pool, will the health department allow you to use BBB methods rather than something commercial?
Oh yeah-Welcome James

 

[aa62579]

Wow, so there are two big pools close to each other? (Since I thought I was told you went down through Buffalo Gap to get to Lake Abilene.)

I'm going to have to google all this.

Edit: Looked them up. Your can't see your pool too well because of all the trees surrounding it, but it looks pretty big. Found the one at lake Abilene - looks close to the same size as yours, but might be smaller. Also one just to the NE of it that looks big, but I can't tell if it is public or private or community, etc.

As an aside, (and certainly not to overshadow your pool) my husband comes from Cisco (down I-20 about an hour), which was once home to what they called the world's largest concrete swimming pool. The measurement I saw from this link was 200 x 800, and 20' deep at one point.

Some photos I found of it:
1938

Lake Cisco Pool 1938 by Roddy R., on Flickr

40' Deep End High Dive

Deep End High Dive by Roddy R., on Flickr

1950s

Lake Cisco Pool (1950's) by Roddy R., on Flickr

2008

LakeCisco pool by Roddy R., on Flickr

THis is the only state I have ever seen it in,.

 

[257WbyMag]

Welcome to TFP!

I own ranch property on CR 104 there in Eastland County. Talk about a small world.

 

[jamyers]

I'd heard of the Cisco pool, but never seen it. Have to stop by there sometime and take a look!

Speaking of googling us, last year Google Earth's satellite's took their photo of us during the one afternoon a year we drag out the slip-n-slide, which is a huge vinyl billboard we lay out. It's upside down, but they caught the giant "1-800-4A-LOAN" sign laying out in front of the bath house, LOL!

My pool isn't open to the general public, just groups that rent it out (although anybody can rent it out, makes it a semi-public-pool?). State Health dept doesn't care where I get chemicals as long as the water's clean and tests ok. I'm looking at the BBB method, seems like I've been doing the first two B's already but never messed with Borates (yet).

Several large pools around here - there's our 144K gal one, the State Park's (not sure how big it is but it has a 12' highdive), and the one NE of that is at the Boy Scout Camp Tonkawa (170K gals).

Our original one was built first, then the State Park's was built by the CCC during the Depression (and has some great stonework buildings around it), then the Boy Scout one was built sometime before WW2, if I remember correctly. Ours and the Boy Scout one were both rebuilt/remodeled in the mid-80's, but the State Park one is pretty much as built.

 

[jamyers]

Here's the google earth shot I captured;

Can you see the Campers lined up on the sidewalk?

(last summer was insanely dry, but you can sure tell where the septic tank lateral lines are!!!)

 

[jblizzle]

Borates are completely optional. You are a BBBer if you understand your pools chemistry and only add what the pool needs ... does not matter what chemicals you use.

 

[jamyers]

This spring we had to cut through the deck then dig back, down, and under the plumbing to repair a cracked skimmer. YUCK!

One pic shows the sidewall of the old original pool along the backside of the hole, the other shows my helper down in the hole (after we got it cleared out)

 

[jamyers]

Borates are completely optional. You are a BBBer if you understand your pools chemistry and only add what the pool needs ... does not matter what chemicals you use.

I keep thinking I've figured out this beast's chemistry, but each year seems to bring something new...

Guess I'm a BBBer-in-training!