News Release
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Contact: Don Corrick, 432-477-1107
Big Bend National Park, Texas—On December 23, 2025, the water pumps at Oak Spring failed completely. These pumps supply water to the Chisos Basin developed area from Oak Spring, the only water source for the Chisos Basin. The park immediately enacted Stage 2 water restrictions to conserve the water stored in the Chisos Basin water tanks. The back-up water pump was previously out of the park for repair and is not available. The park is urgently trying to expedite repair of the pumps, and there is no current timeline for when that repair will occur (but it is expected to take several weeks, at best).
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. When water levels in the storage tanks drop to the minimum needed for firefighting, closure of the area may be required.
The Oak Spring water pumps are slated for rightsizing and replacement under the upcoming Great American Outdoors Act project to rehabilitate the water distribution system for the Chisos Basin. This emergency illustrates the importance of that project.
Last updated: January 3, 2026