Calaveras Lake (Texas)
| Calaveras Lake | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Bexar County, near San Antonio, Texas |
| Coordinates | 29°16′46″N 98°18′14″W / 29.27944°N 98.30389°WCoordinates: 29°16′46″N 98°18′14″W / 29.27944°N 98.30389°W |
| Type | Power plant cooling reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Calaveras Creek |
| Primary outflows | Calaveras Creek |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 3,624 acres (1,467 ha) |
| Max. depth | 45 ft (14 m) |
| Surface elevation | 485 ft (148 m) |
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.[1]
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.
Fish and plant life
Calaveras Lake has been stocked with many species of fish for recreational fishing. Fish present in Calaveras Lake include red drum, hybrid striped bass, catfish, largemouth bass.
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.
In Popular Culture
Calaveras Lake is the setting of one of the culminating scenes in the 1996 film Courage Under Fire, during which Matt Damon's character reveals his knowledge of the truth regarding the death of the character of Captain Karen Walden, the investigation of which constitutes the subject of the film up to that point.
See also
Operator: www.thousandtrails.com Owner: www.cpsenergy.com
References
- ↑ Texas: Pollution a burning issue at new plant There are 4 coal-fired plants that use the lake for cooling. The two older and smaller plants are the J. T. Deely units 1&2, and the two larger newer plants are the J. K. Spruce units 1&2. There are also two gas-fired plants named O. W. Sommers units 1&2.(Submitted by an employee of CPS Energy for more complete information.) Express-News, September 19, 2010 Byline: Tracy Idell Hamilt
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 Quality (TCEQ)