Green Lake (Texas)
| Green Lake | |
|---|---|
| Location | Calhoun County, Texas |
| Coordinates | 28°31′43″N 96°50′23″W / 28.5287°N 96.8397°W |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 10,000 acres (40 km2) |
Green Lake is a natural tidal lake in Calhoun County, Texas, on the Guadalupe River flood basin, known for its greenish waters, from which its name derives. The lake is 12 miles (19 km) west of Port Lavaca and 22 miles (35 km) south of Victoria on the Gulf Coastal Plain, and although less than 3 miles (4.8 km) from the coast of San Antonio Bay, its waters are fresh.[1] Covering an area of 10,000 acres (40 km²), it is the largest freshwater lake entirely in Texas.[2] A wetland ecosystem supporting a wide variety of waterfowl has developed along the lake and near the Guadalupe River delta.
The lake shore was once home to an affluent 19th-century agricultural community of the same name, which dwindled in size and status during the 20th century. It was strategically important during the early stages of the American Civil War because of its proximity to fresh water and the sea. A fictional lake of the same name and with similar qualities is featured in the 1998 novel Holes.
History
Green Lake was originally a northern inlet of San Antonio Bay, but became separated about 2,200 years ago after the Guadalupe River delta discharge extended into the bay and cut off its northern reaches. Pottery and burial grounds discovered near the lake suggest that the Karankawa Indians had a presence in the area.[3]
Wealthy cotton farmers from Kentucky established plantations and settled the fertile lands near the lake during the 1850s.[4] Early in the American Civil War, Federal troops under Colonel Carlos Waite, who had replaced General David E. Twiggs, were stationed near the lake while they waited for ships to evacuate Texas. During their stay Texas seceded from the Union, and called for the capture of all federal military companies to either join the Confederacy or be imprisoned. Some of the remaining uncaptured companies attempted to flee to Green Lake, where they could safely wait to depart, near an adequate source of freshwater.[5] Several regiments camped by the lake later in the war, and complained about mosquitos.[6]
After the war, returning residents found that their slaves, livestock and farm equipment had been taken. Most residents moved elsewhere, however, in the early 20th century, farmers returned and the town of Green Lake began to grow, with an approximate population of 300 in 1914.[4] From about 1900 to 1915, it was estimated that $100,000 of fish were caught in the lake. This finding was revealed during the Texas Courts of Appeals' 1917 Welder v. State decision, which found that dried portions of the lake could not be sold and belonged to the game, fish and oyster commission.[7] Two decades later, in the midst of the Great Depression, the population of Green Lake dwindled to 25, until oil was discovered near the lake in 1947. Twenty wells were constructed at the Green Lake oilfield, although as of 1984, only one still operated. By 2000, the population was 51, the same number that was reported in 1970 and 1990.[4]
Geography
Green Lake is about 13 miles (21 km) in circumference and about 2 miles (3.2 km) wide.[8] It is oval-shaped from west to east with a large circular protuberance stretching to the south. The western shore is generally linear, slanted to the southeast until it reaches the West Point peninsula halfway through. Below this point forms the western shore of the circular extension. The shore circles along to the bay's southwest, and forms a point midway on the southern bank of the original oval. The southern shore continues eastward, until reaching the southeastern extreme, from here the shore circles back to the north, forming the eastern shore. When it reaches the northernmost point, the shore continues on an almost straight southwestern path, until meeting the western shore at near right angle.[9]
The water level is shallow near the shoreline, but begins to fall to a maximum depth, a hundred feet from the shore. At this point the bottom is generally flat and averages about 4 feet (1.2 m) in depth. The nearby Guadalupe River frequently floods the plain, and is the main source of fresh water renewal.[8] The shoreline is naturally grassy and poorly drained with coastal marshes between the lake and San Antonio Bay.[1] To improve drainage, a levee was constructed,[10] separating the lake from the Victoria Barge Canal (built in 1967[11]), which runs along the bay's northern and eastern shore, and cuts off several bayous from entering the lake. The canal begins north at an industrial plant outside Victoria and empties in San Antonio Bay, in Seadrift. The Hog Bayou runs along the western shore of Green Lake, through the Guadalupe Delta Wildlife Management Area to the south, before its confluence with Mission Lake.[9] The nearest community is the rural settlement of Green Lake, whose residents use the lake for fishing, hunting waterfowl and water sports.[1] The town of Tivoli is 4 miles (6.4 km) to the southwest.
Flora and fauna
In the vicinity of Green Lake, forests of pecan, black willow, cedar, American elm, hackberry and green ash can be spotted among the wetlands of the south. In this area, the Guadalupe Delta Wildlife Management Area serves as a habitat for thousands of permanent egrets, and other birds,[2] including the endangered Brown Pelican, Reddish Egret, White-faced Ibis, Wood Stork, Bald Eagle, White-tailed Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, and the Whooping Crane. American Alligators reside in the area as well.[12]
Redfish and trout mainly lived in the lake until the construction of the levee, which brought the populations down. A large amount of silt is now diverted to the lake, which has negatively affected the delta ecosystem.[13]
In popular culture
Green Lake is the setting for Louis Sachar's 1998 novel Holes, and the 2003 film adaptation. It is described as a dry lake that had once been the largest in the state, surrounded by an affluent community. After a long drought, the lake dried up and the area became a ghost town. Juvenile delinquents were sent to Camp Green Lake to dig the lakebed for buried treasure.[14]
References
- ^ a b c "Green Lake". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. May 30, 2010. Retrieved June 25, 2010.
- ^ a b "Texas Independence Trail", p. 98
- ^ "Life at Guadalupe Bay". Texas Beyond History. University of Texas. March 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
- ^ a b c Rupert, Rebecca (May 30, 2010). "Green Lake, Texas". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 25, 2010.
- ^ Speer, pp. 3–4
- ^ Penn, p. 230
- ^ "Welder v. State", pp. 868–873
- ^ a b "Welder v. State", p. 869
- ^ a b "Topographic Maps". Digital-Topo-Maps.com. Google. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
- ^ McGillicuddy, Ryan (July 2009). "What Makes a Lake" (PDF). Texas Wetland News. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Retrieved June 25, 2010.
- ^ Roell, Craig H. (May 30, 2010). "Victoria County". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
- ^ "Guadalupe Delta WMA". Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. August 21, 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
- ^ Patoski, Joe Nick (December 18, 2003). "The Dead Zone – Water -". San Antonio Current. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
- ^ Sachar, p. ?
Bibliography
- Penn, Lyon William (July 2009). Reminiscences of the Civil War. BiblioBazaar, LLC. ISBN 9781113214980.
- Sachar, Louis (1998). Holes. Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR). ISBN 0-374-33266-5.
- Speer, Lonnie R. (November 1, 2005). Portals to Hell: Military Prisons of the Civil War. U of Nebraska Press. ISBN 9780803293427.
- "Texas Independence Trail". Texas Monthly. 19 (4). Emmis Communications. April 1991. ISSN 0148-7736.
- "Welder v. State". The Southwestern reporter. West Pub. Co. 1917.