Falcon International Reservoir
Falcon International Reservoir is a reservoir on the Rio Grande 40 miles (64 km) southeast of Laredo, Texas, USA, 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 of the border. The reservoir was formed by the construction of the Falcon Dam to provide water conservation, irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectricity to the area. The dam was dedicated by Mexican President Adolfo Ruiz Cortines and US President Dwight D. Eisenhower in October 1953. The dam and lake are managed jointly by governments of the United States and Mexico through the International Boundary and Water Commission. 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.
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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 bass.
Recreational uses
Falcon State Park features facilities for camping, picknicking, fishing, boating, and hiking.
Crime
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.[1]
In June 2010, U.S. authorities also revealed a plot by Los Zetas to destroy the Falcon Dam.
External links
- Falcon International Reservoir - Texas Parks & Wildlife
- Falcon State Park - Texas Parks & Wildlife
- Falcon International Reservoir - Handbook of Texas Online
References
- ^ Mexican pirates attack Texas fishermen on Falcon Lake, which straddles border by William Booth - Washington Post May 30th, 2010
Categories: Reservoirs in Texas | Reservoirs in Mexico | Lakes of Texas | Lakes of Mexico | Starr County, Texas | Zapata County, Texas | Rio Grande | Geography of Laredo, Texas | Geography of Tamaulipas | Mexico • United States border towns | International lakes of North America
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