User:ChanceCobb/Lake Palestine

Location
The lake is located in parts of four counties: Anderson, Cherokee, Henderson, and Smith. And is 15 miles southwest of Tyler, Texas (POP. 106,985). Lake Palestine is in the piney woods ecoregion of East Texas and is surrounded by pine trees.

History
Lake Palestine is a freshwater lake in northeast Texas, created for industrial, municipal, and recreational purposes. It is an artificial lake formed by the construction of the 5720-foot-long Earthen Blackburn Crossing Dam on the Neches River. The project was started in 1960 and completed on June 13, 1962.

Hydrology
According to the Texas Water Development Board 2012 Survey, the storage capacity of Lake Palestine is 367,312 acre-feet with a surface area of 23,112 acres at the conservation pool elevation of 345 feet above mean sea level. The drainage area above the dam is approximately 839 square miles. The resulting lake is 18 miles long, stretching northwest to southeast, with 135 miles of shoreline. The widest part of the lake is 4 miles across. The lake is primarily fed by waters from the Neches River and Kickapoo Creek. Lake Palestine is a impoundment of the Neches River.

Uses and Purposes
Lake Palestine is owned and operated by the Upper Neches River Municipal Water Authority and is located in the Neches River watershed. The City of Tyler owns the rights to 68,900 acre-feet of water in Lake Palestine.

Recreation
The lake offers an array of freshwater fish species including bass, crappie, white bass, and catfish. Along the waterfront of Lake Palestine has multiple private marinas as well as seventeen state parks that provide entry points to accesses the water for fishing, skiing, or boating.

Fishing opportunity
As reported from the Texas Parks and Wildlife


 * Prey species: Threadfin Shad were present in the reservoir. Electrofishing catch of Gizzard Shad was moderate and almost 75% of Gizzard Shad were available as prey to most sport fish. Electrofishing catch of Bluegill was high and most were less than 6-inches long.
 * Catfishes: Blue, Channel and Flathead Catfish are present within the reservoir; all three species were abundant and have the potential to provide excellent angling opportunities.
 * Temperate basses: White Bass and Hybrid Striped Bass (Palmetto Bass and Sunshine Bass) were present in the reservoir. The spring spawning run is a popular fishery for both species in the reservoir’s upper tributaries.
 * Largemouth Bass: Largemouth Bass were abundant and displayed good body condition. Largemouth Bass growth to legal length was fast (age at 14 inches long was 1.7 years) and almost 30% of fish were legal-length.
 * Crappie: Black and White Crappie are present in the reservoir and historically have provided a popular fishery.

Management Strategies
Management strategies reported from the Texas Parks And Wildlife link provided below


 * Continue stocking Palmetto Bass at 10 fish/acre and Florida Largemouth Bass at 1000/km of shoreline.
 * Inform the public about the negative impacts of aquatic invasive species.
 * Work with TPWD Kills and Spills Team to improve communication and collaborative efforts for potential fish kill investigations.