Mountain Creek Lake
Mountain Creek Lake is a reservoir located 8 miles (13 km) southwest of Downtown Dallas, Texas, United States, in the Mountain Creek area of the city.[2] It is located south of SH 180, west of Spur 408, north of I-20, and east of FM 1382. The defunct Naval Air Station Dallas (Hensley Field), now an Armed Forces Reserve Center, is located on the northern shore of the lake. Mountain Creek Lake Park is on the lake's southeastern and southwestern edges.
| Mountain Creek Lake | |
|---|---|
  Mountain Creek Lake  Mountain Creek Lake | |
| Location | Dallas, Texas |
| Coordinates | 32°43′05″N 96°57′40″W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Mountain Creek |
| Primary outflows | Mountain Creek |
| Catchment area | 295 sq mi (764 km2)[1] |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 2.75 miles (4.43 km) |
| Max. width | 2 miles (3.22 km) |
| Surface area | 2,710 acres (10.97 km2)[1] |
| Water volume | 22,840 acre⋅ft (28,170,000 m3)[1] |
| Surface elevation | 458 feet (140 m)[1] |
| Settlements | Dallas |
| References | [1] |
There is currently a ban on eating any fish out of this lake due to high contamination levels of PCBs. This is due to the use of airplane fuels and other toxic chemicals throughout the history of Hensley Field.[1]
History
Construction on Mountain Creek Dam began in 1929, and the dam was complete in early 1937. The reservoir was designed as a cooling reservoir for a Dallas Power and Light Company electric power plant.[1]
The original permit for the lake suggested a capacity of 40,000 acre-feet (49,000,000 m3), but the capacity in 1992 was only 22,840 acre-feet (28,170,000 m3) because of heavy siltation.
References
- Mountain Creek Lake from the Handbook of Texas Online.
- "Mountain Creek Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
