Spring Lake is located near San Marcos, Texas – an area that is rich with freshwater springs that bubble up from the Edwards Aquifer. These freshwater springs data back to the last ice age. Past archaeological efforts yielded artifacts from each time period that marks the area as one of the “longest and continually inhabited locations in the United States.” Clovis points and Mastodon remains have been found in the area, including recent human remains.

Researchers from the Center For Archaeological Studies and  The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment conducted the first underwater geoarchaeology survey at Spring Lake, utilizing a sub bottom profiler along with coring sediment samples. This area was dammed over a century ago, which created an underwater archaeological preserve.

Core samples from the sediments of the lake bed will be used to gather data and peek back into paleoenvironment and cultural history of the springs.

Short video from NGEO below.