Sandia Springs Preserve

Sandia Springs and its east and west tributaries provide water for horned lizards and other wildlife, such as migratory birds. The springs also support seven federally endangered or threatened species, including the only naturally occurring populations of the Comanche Springs pupfish and the endangered Pecos gambusia, a type of mosquitofish. Other vulnerable species include the Pecos sunflower, which requires the permanently wet, salty soils of desert marshes and several species of rare invertebrates: the diminutive snail, Pecos assiminea, the Phantom Cave springsnail and the Phantom tryonia.

East Sandia is the larger of the two springs, with a main pool that runs deep and clear. This pool is lined by bulrushes and hosts the rare Pecos sunflower while much of West Sandia Spring is marked by a dense stand of cane.

A cornerstone of TNC's work at Sandia Springs includes monitoring wildlife and monitoring spring flows and water quality to support the health of the entire Balmorhea Sprints system. At nearby Balmorhea State Park, swimmers and scuba divers can plunge beneath the surface of San Solomon Spring—the largest spring within the Balmorhea complex—for an up-close look at the region’s natural history and rare species.

San Solomon is heralded as the world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool; more than 15 million gallons of freshwater flow into the 1.75-acre pool daily. In addition, a 40-acre wetland area has been opened by private citizens in recent years which relies on the waters coming from TNC’s Sandia Springs Preserve for its habitats.

TNC has also donated a portion of the preserve to the town of Balmorhea. Officials there plan to erect a recreation and nature interpretation center to increase conservation awareness in the local community and enhance public access to the preserve.