Background

Balmorhea Lake is a

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

on Sandia Creek southeast of downtown Balmorhea,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. Water from Toyah Creek, fed by the nearby

San Solomon Springs San Solomon Springs is a collection of artesian springs located near the small towns of Toyahvale and Balmorhea in Reeves County, Texas. Between 20 million and 28 million US gallons (90,850 cubic meters) of water a day flow from the springs, s ...

, is also fed into the reservoir, as is excess water in the Phantom Lake Canal. Historians believe that this area of lake has been around for more than 11,000 years. This means that this lake has provided resources for Native tribes and animals that may be extinct today. The reservoir was built in 1917 by the construction of a dam by the Reeves County Water Improvement District. The reservoir provides water for

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow Crop, crops, Landscape plant, landscape plants, and Lawn, lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,00 ...

, and is a popular recreational spot for locals. Balmorhea Lake is also known as Lower Parks Reservoir.

Flora

Balmorhea Lake is home to many species of Bulrush and Sago Pondweed. The Bulrush, ''Scirpus acutus'', is a marshland plant that is typically grown around bodies of water like: lakes, ponds and even reservoirs. These plants grow their stems horizontally while sprouting roots underneath their stems, this is known as rhizomatous activity. Because these plants are rhizomatous, they produce a substance in the ground that allows bacteria to keep waste from damaging the shoreline and vegetation near it. These plants are usually found in areas of shallow waters as they do not live very long in waters that are considerably deep. They may typically grow more than long. They are green in color, but are sometimes seen as having a grey tint. The Bulrush plants are utilized often for conservation efforts for many different lakes and reservoirs because of their ability to preserve shorelines that would otherwise be worn down by waves. The Sago Pondweed, ''

Stuckenia pectinata ''Stuckenia pectinata'' ( syn. ''Potamogeton pectinatus''), commonly called sago pondweed or fennel pondweed, and sometimes called ribbon weed, is a cosmopolitan water plant species that grows in fresh and brackish water on all continents except ...

,'' is very common across North America. These plants are typically consumed by ducks, geese and other birds that reside on lakes, reservoirs and other similar bodies of water. Like the Bulrush mentioned above, the Sago Pondweed does offer environmental assistance by preventing erosion on the shorelines caused by waves and having the ability to regulate the amount of pollution in these bodies of water. These plant may grow to be more than tall and are very grass-like, having a brownish-green tint to them.

Fishing

Balmorhea Lake has been stocked with species of fish intended to improve the utility of the reservoir for recreational fishing. Fish that are present in Balmorhea Lake include

largemouth bass The largemouth bass (''Micropterus salmoides'') is a carnivorous freshwater gamefish in the Centrarchidae ( sunfish) family, a species of black bass native to the eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada and northern Mexico, but ...

, sunfish,

European carp The Eurasian carp or European carp (''Cyprinus carpio''), widely known as the common carp, is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia.Fishbase''Cyprinus carpio'' Linnaeus, 1758/ref>Arkive The ...

mirror carp Mirror carp, regionally known as Israeli carp, are a type of domesticated fish commonly found in Europe but widely introduced or cultivated elsewhere. They are a variety of the common carp (''Cyprinus carpio'') developed through selective breedin ...

channel catfish The channel catfish (''Ictalurus punctatus'') is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States, the ...

blue catfish The blue catfish (''Ictalurus furcatus'') is the largest species of North American catfish, reaching a length of and a weight of . The typical length is about 25–46 in (64–117 cm). The fish can live to 20 years. The native distribution ...

black bullhead The black bullhead or black bullhead catfish (''Ameiurus melas'') is a species of bullhead catfish. Like other bullhead catfish, it has the ability to thrive in waters that are low in oxygen, brackish, turbid and/or very warm. It also has barbels ...

crappie Crappies () are two species of North American freshwater fish of the genus ''Pomoxis'' in the family Centrarchidae (sunfishes). Both species of crappies are popular game fish among recreational anglers. Etymology The genus name ''Pomoxis'' ...

and

gizzard shad ''Dorosoma'' is a genus that contains five species of shads, within the herring family Clupeidae. The five species are native to the North and/or Central America, and are known from both fresh water and the waters of estuaries and bays. The Ame ...

. Although recreational fishing is allowed, there ar
statewide regulations
ref> that this lake has to follow.

Recreational uses

Balmorhea Lake is used for

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

bird-watching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...

diving
and

boating Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether Motorboat, powerboats, Sailing, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sp ...

References

External links

Balmorhea Lake - Texas Parks & Wildlife
*
History of Balmorhea LakeFlora at Balmorhea
*Flora -

Bulrush Bulrush is a vernacular name for several large wetland grass-like plants *Sedge family (Cyperaceae): **''Cyperus'' **''Scirpus'' **'' Blysmus'' **''Bolboschoenus'' **''Scirpoides'' **''Isolepis'' **''Schoenoplectus'' **''Trichophorum'' *Typhacea ...

*Flora
Understanding Bulrush VegetationFishing Lake Balmorhea
*Flora
Sago Pondweed
*

Statewide RegulationDiving at Balmorhea
* Balmorhea Protected areas of Reeves County, Texas Bodies of water of Reeves County, Texas Historic American Engineering Record in Texas {{ReevesCountyTX-geo-stub