Lake Worth (Texas)
Encyclopedia
Lake Worth is located on the West Fork of the Trinity River
. It is entirely inside the Fort Worth, Texas
city limits.
Lake Worth is a reservoir
in Texas
. It was built in 1914 as a reservoir and for recreation. The lake is controlled by the City of Fort Worth Lake Worth Management Office. The lake has a moderate fluctuation with stained clarity. Submerged vegetation is sparse. There are shallow flats covered with cattails and other emergent species.
When first impounded, Lake Worth provided boating and recreation that drew people from throughout the North Texas area. Over time, the lake became more neglected, but the expansion of Fort Worth has recently brought the lake and its parks new popularity.
Since the early 1960s, many calls were made for dredging the lake and restoring its recreational potential, but city leaders were either unwilling or unable to fund the expensive proposition. This funding problem ended in the mid 2000's, when it became technologically feasible to access natural gas of the Barnett Shale
, which partially lies underneath the lake.
A movement of Fort Worth citizens has pushed for retaining a portion of that gas revenue windfall for renovating and developing its public recreational potential. This movement proposes to make improvements such as dredging the lake, setting aside 400 acres (1.6 km²) of additional city-owned land as green space, building trails and other recreational infrastructure, and integrating the overall area into a "world-class" park such as New York's Central Park
(the city currently operates a 3000 acres (12.1 km²) park on the lake's northern end as the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge).
sitings. In July 1969, a large creature was cited by numerous people over several days. The creature was described as part goat, part fish, part man. The locals refer to the animal as the "Lake Worth monster
" or "The Lake Worth Goatman".
Trinity River (Texas)
The Trinity River is a long river that flows entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It rises in extreme north Texas, a few miles south of the Red River. The headwaters are separated by the high bluffs on the south side of the Red River....
. It is entirely inside the Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
city limits.
Lake Worth is a reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. It was built in 1914 as a reservoir and for recreation. The lake is controlled by the City of Fort Worth Lake Worth Management Office. The lake has a moderate fluctuation with stained clarity. Submerged vegetation is sparse. There are shallow flats covered with cattails and other emergent species.
When first impounded, Lake Worth provided boating and recreation that drew people from throughout the North Texas area. Over time, the lake became more neglected, but the expansion of Fort Worth has recently brought the lake and its parks new popularity.
Since the early 1960s, many calls were made for dredging the lake and restoring its recreational potential, but city leaders were either unwilling or unable to fund the expensive proposition. This funding problem ended in the mid 2000's, when it became technologically feasible to access natural gas of the Barnett Shale
Barnett Shale
The Barnett Shale is a geological formation located in the Bend Arch-Fort Worth Basin. It consists of sedimentary rocks of Mississippian age in Texas...
, which partially lies underneath the lake.
A movement of Fort Worth citizens has pushed for retaining a portion of that gas revenue windfall for renovating and developing its public recreational potential. This movement proposes to make improvements such as dredging the lake, setting aside 400 acres (1.6 km²) of additional city-owned land as green space, building trails and other recreational infrastructure, and integrating the overall area into a "world-class" park such as New York's Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
(the city currently operates a 3000 acres (12.1 km²) park on the lake's northern end as the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge).
Mythology
Lake Worth is considered the site of one of the best documented cryptozoologyCryptozoology
Cryptozoology refers to the search for animals whose existence has not been proven...
sitings. In July 1969, a large creature was cited by numerous people over several days. The creature was described as part goat, part fish, part man. The locals refer to the animal as the "Lake Worth monster
Lake Worth monster
The Lake Worth Monster is a North American cryptid reported to live in Lake Worth, Texas.-History:Numerous sightings in July 1969 led to the belief of a half-man, half-goat creature living in Lake Worth in Texas. Jim Marrs, a reporter, wrote an article about it in the newspaper, which made the...
" or "The Lake Worth Goatman".
Videos
- Lake Worth: Polishing a Tarnished Jewel, Star Telegram Video - January 18, 2008
- Saving Lake Worth, Star Telegram Video, January 6, 2008
- December 11th 2007 Fort Worth Council Meeting to Dredge Lake Worth - Channel 11 News Reporting
- December 11, 2007 Fort Worth Council Meeting to Dredge Lake Worth - Channel 8 News Reporting
- August 2007 Barnett Shale Revenue Committee Meeting to Dredge Lake Worth - Channel 11 News Reporting