Background

Balmorhea Lake is a

reservoir A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation. Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...

on Sandia Creek southeast of downtown Balmorhea,

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. Water from Toyah Creek, fed by the nearby San Solomon Springs, is also fed into the reservoir, as is excess water in the

Phantom Lake Canal Phantom, phantoms, or the phantom may refer to: * Spirit (metaphysics), the vital principle or animating force within all living things ** Ghost, the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear to the living Aircraft * Boeing Phanto ...

. Historians believe that people have used springs in this area for more than 11,000 years. 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 of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...

, 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 nigricans'') is a carnivorous, freshwater fish, freshwater, ray-finned fish in the Centrarchidae (sunfish) family, native to the eastern United States, eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada an ...

, sunfish, European carp,

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

channel catfish The channel catfish (''Ictalurus punctatus''), known informally as the "channel cat", is a species of catfish native to North America. They are North America's most abundant catfish species, and the official state fish of Kansas, Missouri, Nebra ...

blue catfish The blue catfish (''Ictalurus furcatus'') is a large species of North American catfish, reaching a length of and a weight of . The continent's largest catfish, it can live to 20 years, with a typical fish being between and . Native distribution ...

black bullhead The black bullhead or black bullhead catfish (''Ameiurus melas'') is a species of Ameiurus, 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 ...

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 ''Pomoxi ...

and gizzard shad. 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, such as saltwater or freshwater environments, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve hydrody ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

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 such as binoculars or a telescop ...

, and

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

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 graminoid, grass-like plants *Sedge family (Cyperaceae): **''Cyperus'' **''Scirpus'' **''Blysmus'' **''Bolboschoenus'' **''Scirpoides'' **''Isolepis'' **''Schoenoplectus'' **''Trichophorum'' ...

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

Statewide RegulationDiving at Balmorhea
* {{Authority control Balmorhea Protected areas of Reeves County, Texas Bodies of water of Reeves County, Texas Historic American Engineering Record in Texas