Mitchell Lake
Encyclopedia
Mitchell Lake is a small lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...

 in the southern part of San Antonio that encompasses approximately 600 acres (2.4 km²) within its city limits, in southern Bexar County. It was used as a waste management
Waste management
Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal,managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics...

 center for the city but has since fallen under SAWS control. A redevelopment
Redevelopment
Redevelopment is any new construction on a site that has pre-existing uses.-Description:Variations on redevelopment include:* Urban infill on vacant parcels that have no existing activity but were previously developed, especially on Brownfield land, such as the redevelopment of an industrial site...

 effort has started on the lake with the openings of golf courses and parks. These efforts aim to change the perceptions of people in the South Texas
South Texas
South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of and including San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande River, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 3.7 million. The southern portion of this region is...

 area who associate with the lake with uncleanliness. The lake is beloved by birdwatchers who enjoy the sights of many species of bird that live on or around the lake.

History

The lake was first utilized by the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 in the early 18th century to supply the large abundance of cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...

 with water. They called it the "Lake of the Ducks" because of the bounty of ducks that dwelled near the waters. The Mitchell family of San Antonio, owned the lake in the 19th century and used it for fowl
Fowl
Fowl is a word for birds in general but usually refers to birds belonging to one of two biological orders, namely the gamefowl or landfowl and the waterfowl...

hunting. The city purchased the lake in 1901 for waste management and as early as the 1970s, efforts began to protect the lake and its rare birds.
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