Lake Worth (Texas)

Lake Worth
Location	Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas, USA
Coordinates	32°47′26″N 97°24′53″W
Type	artificial
Primary inflows	Eagle Mountain Lake
Primary outflows	Trinity River
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	3,489 acres (1,412 ha)
Average depth	6 ft (1.8 m)
Max. depth	22 ft (6.7 m)
Surface elevation	594 ft (181 m)
Islands	Greer Island, Willow Island, Goat Island
Settlements	Fort Worth, Texas

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.

Mythology

Lake Worth is considered the site of one of the best documented cryptozoology 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".

See also

• Lake Worth monster
• Barnett Shale
• Trinity River Authority

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

External links

• Texas Parks and Wildlife
• Dredging Lake Worth FAQ's
• Scenic Shores Neighborhood Association
• U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lake Worth
• Lake Worth from the Handbook of Texas Online