Falcon International Reservoir

Falcon International Reservoir (Spanish: Embalse Internacional Falcón), commonly called Falcon Lake, is a reservoir on the Rio Grande 40 miles (64 km) southeast of Laredo, Texas, United States, and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. The huge lake is bounded by Starr and Zapata Counties on the Texas side of the international border and the municipality and city of Nueva Ciudad Guerrero on the Tamaulipas side. The reservoir was formed by the construction of the Falcon Dam to provide water conservation, irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectricity to the area.

Falcon International Reservoir
Presa Falcón
Location of Falcon International Reservoir in Texas, USA.
Location of Falcon International Reservoir in Texas, USA.
Falcon International Reservoir
Location of Falcon International Reservoir in Texas, USA.
Location of Falcon International Reservoir in Texas, USA.
Falcon International Reservoir
LocationZapata / Starr Counties, Texas, United States;
Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Coordinates26°33′32″N 99°09′53″W at Falcon Dam
TypeHydroelectric reservoir
Primary inflowsRio Grande
Primary outflowsRio Grande
Basin countriesUnited States, Mexico
Surface area83,654 acres (33,854 ha)
Max. depth110 ft (34 m)
Surface elevation301 ft (92 m)

The dam was dedicated in October 1953 by Mexican President Adolfo Ruiz Cortines and U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The dam and lake are managed jointly by governments of the United States and Mexico through the International Boundary and Water Commission, which was established in 1889 to maintain the border, allocate river waters between the two nations, and provide for flood control and water sanitation. The lake is named after María Rita de la Garza Falcón, for whom the town of Falcon (displaced by the creation of the reservoir) was named.

Fish and plant life

Falcon International Reservoir has been stocked with species of fish intended to improve the utility of the reservoir for recreational fishing. Fish present in the reservoir include largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, and channel catfish.[1]

On the shores of Falcon Lake are Texas wild olive (Cordia boissieri), Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens), hibiscus, mesquite thickets, huisache (Vachellia farnesiana var. farnesiana) and prickly pear cactus (Opuntia spp.). Greater roadrunners, collared peccaries, white-tailed deer, and black-tailed jackrabbits also exist within the park.[2]

As of 8-26-2023, Falcon Reservoir is 10.4 % of capacity due to an extended drought.

Recreation

Falcon State Park is 572.6 acres (2.317 km2) located between Falcon Heights, Texas, and Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, Tamaulipas, and is the southern end of a 98,960-acre (400.5 km2) International Falcon Reservoir. The park's main activities include camping, swimming, fishing, water skiing, and boating, with a self-guided nature trail. Bass fishing is particularly popular on the 98,960-acre (400.5 km2) lake.

Climate

Climate data is recorded near the southeast corner of the reservoir at 26.5580°N 99.1372°W / 26.5580; -99.1372 and an elevation of 97.5 metres (320 ft). [3]

Climate data for Falcon Dam, Texas, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1962–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 98
(37)		 103
(39)		 108
(42)		 113
(45)		 114
(46)		 116
(47)		 110
(43)		 111
(44)		 112
(44)		 105
(41)		 99
(37)		 94
(34)		 116
(47)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 88.4
(31.3)		 92.9
(33.8)		 97.9
(36.6)		 102.1
(38.9)		 104.7
(40.4)		 107.0
(41.7)		 106.4
(41.3)		 106.9
(41.6)		 103.3
(39.6)		 98.0
(36.7)		 92.8
(33.8)		 87.7
(30.9)		 109.6
(43.1)
Average high °F (°C) 71.5
(21.9)		 77.1
(25.1)		 84.0
(28.9)		 90.8
(32.7)		 96.5
(35.8)		 101.2
(38.4)		 102.2
(39.0)		 102.6
(39.2)		 95.8
(35.4)		 89.9
(32.2)		 80.1
(26.7)		 72.2
(22.3)		 88.7
(31.5)
Daily mean °F (°C) 60.1
(15.6)		 64.9
(18.3)		 71.5
(21.9)		 77.8
(25.4)		 84.1
(28.9)		 88.5
(31.4)		 89.4
(31.9)		 89.6
(32.0)		 84.6
(29.2)		 78.0
(25.6)		 69.0
(20.6)		 61.2
(16.2)		 76.6
(24.8)
Average low °F (°C) 48.7
(9.3)		 52.7
(11.5)		 59.0
(15.0)		 64.8
(18.2)		 71.6
(22.0)		 75.8
(24.3)		 76.6
(24.8)		 76.7
(24.8)		 73.4
(23.0)		 66.0
(18.9)		 57.9
(14.4)		 50.2
(10.1)		 64.5
(18.0)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 32.8
(0.4)		 37.0
(2.8)		 40.8
(4.9)		 48.5
(9.2)		 58.6
(14.8)		 67.1
(19.5)		 69.4
(20.8)		 70.5
(21.4)		 62.8
(17.1)		 48.1
(8.9)		 39.7
(4.3)		 33.7
(0.9)		 30.2
(−1.0)
Record low °F (°C) 21
(−6)		 19
(−7)		 27
(−3)		 30
(−1)		 44
(7)		 59
(15)		 59
(15)		 64
(18)		 51
(11)		 31
(−1)		 31
(−1)		 15
(−9)		 15
(−9)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.74
(19)		 0.64
(16)		 0.78
(20)		 1.24
(31)		 1.98
(50)		 1.94
(49)		 1.99
(51)		 1.63
(41)		 4.87
(124)		 1.38
(35)		 1.31
(33)		 1.00
(25)		 19.50
(495)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 5.2 4.3 4.2 3.4 4.3 3.6 3.7 3.5 7.3 3.9 4.3 6.1 53.8
Source 1: NOAA[4]
Source 2: National Weather Service[5]

Piracy
Main article: Piracy in Falcon Lake

In May 2010, Los Zetas pirates on the lake claiming to be Mexican Federal Police committed at least three armed robberies. The pirates boarded U.S. boats and demanded either weapons, drugs, or money. Fear of robbery has since dissuaded U.S. fishers from the lake.[6]

In June 2010, U.S. authorities also revealed a plot by Los Zetas to destroy the Falcon Dam.

On September 30, 2010, David Hartley and his wife Tiffany, from McAllen, Texas, were in Mexican waters riding WaveRunners back from Mexico when they were allegedly chased by two boats containing about six gunmen.[7] The Zapata County Sheriff said the woman escaped and reported that her husband was shot.[8] He is missing and feared dead.[9][10]

On October 10, 2010, Zapata County Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez sent word to the Zetas that he has no plans to prosecute.[11]

On October 12, 2010, Commander Rolando Flores, the lead Mexican investigator for the David Hartley disappearance case, was beheaded by Mexican drug cartel members and sent in a suitcase to the Mexican military.[12]

See also

References
  1. Gabriela A. Treviño, "Falcon Lake discussed at hearing: Declining bass population impacts ecosystem, number of tourists" (May 17, 2014) Laredo Morning Times, pp. 1, 10A
  2. "Falcon Dam". Texas Parks and Wildlife.
  3. "FALCON DAM, TX US". Climate Data Online. NOAA. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  4. "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Falcon Dam, TX". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  5. "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Brownsville". National Weather Service. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  6. William Booth (May 30, 2010). "Mexican pirates attack Texas fishermen on Falcon Lake, which straddles border". Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-10-13.
  7. "Mexican cartels and ensuing violence leave mark on Texas border town". The Denver Post. 9 October 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  8. "Colorado man apparently killed by Mexican pirates". The Denver Post. 1 October 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  9. Richardson, Helen H. (October 5, 2010). "Nikki Hartley, the sister of David, and Pam Hartley, right, the mother of David, remember him after the service. Despite having no body or definitive news on his disappearance David Hartley's family and the family of his wife Tiffany, held a memorial service in his name in the Worship Center at the Family Church in McAllen, Texas". Getty Images. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  10. "Rally planned for man allegedly shot by Mexican pirates". Colorado Springs Gazette. Associated Press. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  11. "Texas sheriff tells drug cartel: 'We just want a body'". NBC News. Associated Press. October 7, 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  12. Divina Mims, Eduardo Aragon, Ed Lavandera and Nick Valencia (October 13, 2010). "Mexican investigator in Falcon Lake case beheaded, officials say". CNN. Retrieved 2010-10-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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