Joe Pool Lake, Texas. (original) (raw)

Early Morning Observations

at Joe Pool Lake

A Photo Essay by John Stankewitz

TX - Joe Pool Lake, Cedar Hill Park - Great Egret

Great Egret - "Got Me One"
Joe Pool Lake, Cedar Hill Park
Photo courtesy John Stankewitz, June 2004

Joe Pool Lake is located Between Highway 360 and FM 1382 about 1 Mile S of Interstate 20

One of the only lakes in Texas that drains to the north, Joe Pool Lake is a 7, 400-acre impoundment with a 64 mile shoreline that serves as a reservoir for Midlothian. The northeastern corner is in the city limits of Dallas, and most of the remainder is in Grand Prairie, but the lake also touches city limits of Cedar Hill, Mansfield, and Midlothian. The lake impounds water from a watershed with a drainage area of 304 square miles and depending on the season, Midlothian draws from 1 to 9 million gallons daily from the lake.

Named after Joe Pool, a congressman from Oak Cliff, impoundment began in January 1986, less than a month after completion. The water is held back by a rolled earthfill dam with a spillway elevation of 536 feet. It took about three and one half years to fill the lake to its capacity and while fishing, boating and swimming are the main attractions, the area also provides a sampling of Texas' smaller fauna. The photos included here were captured by photographer John Stankewitz in 2004 and 2005.

Joe Pool Lake TX - Dragon Flies