- Mitchell Lake has a surface area covering
approximately 600 acres with an average water depth of less
than 8 feet. It is located in southern Bexar County and was
purchased by the City of San Antonio in 1901. It is
currently operated and managed by the San Antonio Water
System (SAWS).
- Historically, Spanish settlers in the early
1700's used the lake as a watering hole for cattle and
called the area "Laguna de los Patos" or
"Lake of the Ducks."
- In the late 1800's, the site was owned by
the Mitchell family and was popular for waterfowl
hunting. The marshy setting provided a quality riparian
habitat.
- Shortly after the turn of the century the
lake was purchased by the City of San Antonio and a dam was
constructed to create one of the earliest centralized
wastewater treatment facilities for the City.
- In the late 1930's the Rilling Road
Wastewater Treatment Plant was built upstream of the lake to
handle increased capacity and to improve effluent water
quality. The Rilling Road Wastewater Plant continued to
discharge into the lake until 1987 when Dos Rios Water
Treatment Plant came on-line.
- The City started efforts to reclaim the
area in 1973 by declaring the lake a refuge for shore birds
and waterfowl.
- After 1987, in order to maintain the water
level in the lake and safeguard the habitat a portion of the
treated effluent from the Leon Creek Water Recycling Center
was discharged into the lake. This practice continues to the
present day.
- In the early 1990's an engineering analysis
of the lake's water quality and the dam structure was
prepared to assess the current conditions. The results of
these studies indicated no hazardous materials and lake
water quality was within standards set by the Texas Natural
Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC).
- Since 1992, SAWS has spent over $1 million
in studying and planning for the development of Mitchell
Lake and the surrounding area. These studies include
development of a managed wetland for waterfowl and shore
bird ecosystem, the use of the lake water for irrigation of
the adjacent Mission Del Lago Golf Course, continued water
quality assessment of the lake by SAWS staff, the San
Antonio River Authority and local consultants and conceptual
design of amenities for continued lake area use by the
public for education and research.
- SAWS has actively solicited input from
citizen committees and developers including the San Antonio
Audubon Society, the Mitchell Lake Wetlands Society and the
Southside Chamber of Commerce.
- In 1998, SAWS appointed a full-time
Environmental Project Manager to facilitate the development
of a Master Plan for the entire SAWS property and continued
community coordination efforts. SAWS is researching the
availability of public and private funding sources to
develop and manage the facility as an educational and
research wetlands project. This effort will promote
eco-tourism and provide educational benefits for the
community.
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