As summer temperatures climb, many residents are asking the same question: Why doesn’t Texarkana have a public swimming pool anymore? For longtime locals, the memories of splashing around at places like Pebble Beach, Crystal Springs, the Spring Lake Park Pool, and even a neighborhood pool in College Hill are still fresh — but those community staples have long since disappeared.
The story behind the loss of public swimming options in Texarkana reflects a broader trend seen across the country. Once a fixture of local parks and neighborhoods, public pools have faced mounting financial and maintenance challenges. In Texarkana, the city’s most notable pool at Spring Lake Park was closed years ago to make way for a baseball field, removing a key recreational option for families and young people.
Meanwhile, other regional favorites like Crystal Springs Beach near Maud, Texas, shut down due to operational issues and dwindling attendance. Municipal leaders nationwide have grappled with the high costs of maintaining pools — including staffing, repairs, and meeting modern safety regulations — with many choosing instead to install lower-maintenance splash pads as a cost-effective alternative.
While residents briefly had access to an indoor pool at Texarkana College, which reopened to the public in 2019, that facility is now under the management of Texarkana Texas Independent School District and no longer open for public use, leaving the community without a single dedicated public swimming pool.
In recent years, the conversation has resurfaced through local initiatives like Advance TXK Parks, where community members voiced their desire for a public pool as part of the city’s long-term parks master plan. Many residents believe it’s time to bite down and put in another public pool.
The absence of a public pool in a city the size of Texarkana highlights the ongoing struggle municipalities face in balancing budgets with providing recreational services. As community input grows and temperatures rise, many are hoping city leaders will make a public pool a priority once again.
Would you like to see a public pool return to Texarkana? Share your thoughts with city officials or during the next parks planning meeting.
