.gif)
Calaveras Lake (Texas)
Encyclopedia
Calaveras Lake is a reservoir
on Calaveras Creek
, located 20 miles (32 kilometers) southeast of downtown San Antonio
, Texas
, USA. The reservoir was formed in 1969 by the construction of a dam to provide a cooling pond for a complex of power plants, to supply additional electricity to the city of San Antonio. The two older and larger units are coal plants called the Deely units; a pair of small natural gas units is also located at the site.
The dam and lake are managed by CPS Energy
of San Antonio. Together with the smaller Victor Braunig Lake
, Calaveras Lake was one of the first projects in the nation to use treated wastewater for power plant cooling. The reservoir is partly filled with wastewater that has undergone both primary and secondary treatment at a San Antonio Water System treatment plant. Calaveras Lake also serves as a venue for recreation, including fishing and boating. Sailboats are prohibited on the lake.
, hybrid striped bass
, catfish
, largemouth bass
.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
on Calaveras Creek
Calaveras Creek
Calaveras Creek is a waterway that starts near Martinez, Texas and runs for fifteen miles to its mouth at the San Antonio River. It is the source of Calaveras Lake where it is dammed near Elmendorf. Calaveras means skulls in Spanish....
, located 20 miles (32 kilometers) southeast of downtown San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, USA. The reservoir was formed in 1969 by the construction of a dam to provide a cooling pond for a complex of power plants, to supply additional electricity to the city of San Antonio. The two older and larger units are coal plants called the Deely units; a pair of small natural gas units is also located at the site.
The dam and lake are managed by CPS Energy
CPS Energy
CPS Energy of San Antonio, Texas is the United States' largest municipally owned utility company, with combined natural gas and electric service. Fourteen percent of all utility revenues are returned to the City of San Antonio, and those revenues make up more than 20 percent of the City of San...
of San Antonio. Together with the smaller Victor Braunig Lake
Victor Braunig Lake
Victor Braunig Lake, formerly known as East Lake, is a reservoir on Calaveras Creek and Chupaderas Creek 17 miles south of downtown San Antonio, Texas, USA. The reservoir was formed in 1962 by the construction of a dam to provide a cooling pond for a power plant to supply additional electrical...
, Calaveras Lake was one of the first projects in the nation to use treated wastewater for power plant cooling. The reservoir is partly filled with wastewater that has undergone both primary and secondary treatment at a San Antonio Water System treatment plant. Calaveras Lake also serves as a venue for recreation, including fishing and boating. Sailboats are prohibited on the lake.
Fish and plant life
Calaveras Lake has been stocked with many species of fish for recreational fishing. Fish present in Calaveras Lake include red drumRed Drum
The Red Drum , also known as Channel Bass, Redfish, Spottail Bass or simply Reds, is a game fish that is found in the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Northern Mexico. It is the only species in the genus Sciaenops...
, hybrid striped bass
Hybrid striped bass
A hybrid striped bass, also known as a wiper or whiterock bass, is a hybrid between the striped bass and the white bass . It can be distinguished from the striped bass by broken rather than solid horizontal stripes on the body...
, catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
, largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
.
Recreational uses
Thousand Trails Management Services operates the 147 acre (57 ha) public facility under contract with CPS Energy at the lake. The lake features facilities for camping, picknicking, fishing, boating, and hiking.External links
- Calaveras Lake - Texas Parks & Wildlife
- 35th Anniversary of Calaveras Lake
- Calaveras Lake power plant complex pollution: monthly, annual, and daily (near real-time) reports from the Texas Commission on Environmental QualityTexas Commission on Environmental QualityThe Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is the environmental agency for the U.S. state of Texas. The commission is headquartered at 12100 Park 35 Circle in Austin....
(TCEQ)