To understand where water was travelling beneath Austin, researchers used a technique that could make an invisible journey visible. According to the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District , researchers injected three pounds of fluorescein dye into Dry Fork Sink on June 17, 1997, at 9 am. The sink is located on Kitcheon Branch, a tributary of Williamson Creek, in Sunset Valley, and was used as a natural recharge feature of the Edwards Aquifer. Researchers poured the dye into water entering the sinkhole and later detected it at Barton Springs, demonstrating a rapid underground connection. The report notes that fluorescein was one of several non-toxic organic dyes selected for groundwater tracing because of its suitability and safety for drinking-water supplies and aquatic habitats.
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