Has anyone heard if Squaw Creek at Glenrose is going to open back up anytime soon? I dove there years ago and it was a really cool place to dive. Any info would be appreciated.
Squaw Creek
- Thread starter broncrider
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Never been there, but I'm curious why it would be "closed"
Are you referring to a particular park or place of entry, or has the whole lake been somehow closed to diving?
I'd like to know more about the site...
Are you referring to a particular park or place of entry, or has the whole lake been somehow closed to diving?
I'd like to know more about the site...
Here's what I know:
We used to dive there alot....back in the mid 80's we took students to Squaw Creek or Lake Murray.
The diving off of Swim Beach, the only public access, was average. The bottom sloped gradually down, it was mainly gravel and small rocks with plant life. There was a platform out off the swim dock. We used to pick it up and move it around with lift bags for S&R classes. If you swam out far enough, you would encounter a submerged forest, intact. Visibility averaged 10', but could be as bad as 3' and on several occasions was 20'+.
If you had a boat you could go over by the dam. Up against the shoreline over there are steep drop offs that provide some wall diving (sort of) and great vis.
The best dive I ever had out there, the vis was 30'+. We went out into the forest and swam among the trees, flying from branch to branch and gliding around the tree trunks. The wispy moss in the canopy was eerie.
At some point in the late 80's they started running the Comanche Peak reactor. This heated the water to sometimes uncomfortable levels and caused terrible algae blooms reducing the vis to near 0. I also heard they spiked the water with something to help the fishing which further destroyed the vis.
Public Access was removed following the attacks on 9/11 and as far as I know it has not yet been restored. Controversy has come about from accusations that the only access to the lake is given to executives with Comanche Peak, who use the lake as a private fishing refuge. Needless to say, if this is true, it is a gross misuse of a public waterway.
I have not been to Squaw Creek in 20 years.
We used to dive there alot....back in the mid 80's we took students to Squaw Creek or Lake Murray.
The diving off of Swim Beach, the only public access, was average. The bottom sloped gradually down, it was mainly gravel and small rocks with plant life. There was a platform out off the swim dock. We used to pick it up and move it around with lift bags for S&R classes. If you swam out far enough, you would encounter a submerged forest, intact. Visibility averaged 10', but could be as bad as 3' and on several occasions was 20'+.
If you had a boat you could go over by the dam. Up against the shoreline over there are steep drop offs that provide some wall diving (sort of) and great vis.
The best dive I ever had out there, the vis was 30'+. We went out into the forest and swam among the trees, flying from branch to branch and gliding around the tree trunks. The wispy moss in the canopy was eerie.
At some point in the late 80's they started running the Comanche Peak reactor. This heated the water to sometimes uncomfortable levels and caused terrible algae blooms reducing the vis to near 0. I also heard they spiked the water with something to help the fishing which further destroyed the vis.
Public Access was removed following the attacks on 9/11 and as far as I know it has not yet been restored. Controversy has come about from accusations that the only access to the lake is given to executives with Comanche Peak, who use the lake as a private fishing refuge. Needless to say, if this is true, it is a gross misuse of a public waterway.
I have not been to Squaw Creek in 20 years.
OP
It has been almost 20 years since I was there as well. On the North end where they just let the lake fill up we used to dive lots of structures that were partially in tact. Mostly old houses with just the walls left standing but it was loaded with fish to see.
richerso
Contributor
Just to be clear about this:
Squaw Creek was closed after the attacks of 9/11. Allowing for public access to the lake/pond is considered to be a security risk to the adjacent steam generation station.
I could climb up on a soap box right now; but I will refrain. Don't want to be banned from the board.
Squaw Creek was closed after the attacks of 9/11. Allowing for public access to the lake/pond is considered to be a security risk to the adjacent steam generation station.
I could climb up on a soap box right now; but I will refrain. Don't want to be banned from the board.
Crazyduck
Contributor
Squaw Creek Reservoir - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Controversy listed.
This facility is adding yet another reactor to make better use of the site.
Nuclear is clean (with the exception of the radiation) and cheaper for Texas.
I know that this point is very contraversial.
As far as safety- there is no direct path from the lake into the reactor.
There are many facilities that are either on the ocean or near lakes. It is sheerly a control aspect and I can't blame them.
This is how the Millitary used to look for Soviet facilities- picture the rivers, lakes and look for the site with no ice in the middle of winter; it worked on a few ocassions.
(that's another interesting topic)
Shame we lost access but I cannot blame them.
As a group we should be looking for sites... that we can access.
Lets make this positive and find some interesting new places.
There are a ton of lakes in Texas and some have to be clear or decent sometimes of the year.
So any thoughts on places to check out...?
Controversy listed.
This facility is adding yet another reactor to make better use of the site.
Nuclear is clean (with the exception of the radiation) and cheaper for Texas.
I know that this point is very contraversial.
As far as safety- there is no direct path from the lake into the reactor.
There are many facilities that are either on the ocean or near lakes. It is sheerly a control aspect and I can't blame them.
This is how the Millitary used to look for Soviet facilities- picture the rivers, lakes and look for the site with no ice in the middle of winter; it worked on a few ocassions.
(that's another interesting topic)
Shame we lost access but I cannot blame them.
As a group we should be looking for sites... that we can access.
Lets make this positive and find some interesting new places.
There are a ton of lakes in Texas and some have to be clear or decent sometimes of the year.
So any thoughts on places to check out...?
eieio_24
Contributor
I was going to add my knowledge about Squaw Creek, but most of all the facts have already been laid out for broncrider. I have been there several times. When I was there in the late 90's and fishing, the water was not particularly clear enough to have much vis for diving. As it is a cooling lake for Commanche Peak nuclear power plant, the water does get quite warm, as mentioned above.
The times I've been there, the water temps were posted, and were near or well over 100 degress - in the summer months.
Also, my mother, sister and step-father went there to attempt dives for their open water certification, also in the late 90's, and vis was very, very poor.
I also once knew someone who worked for the security company contracted to provide security to the plant, prior to 9/11, and even then security was very strict - I doubt it will ever open again to the general public.
Suprisingly, after 9/11, and a year ago or so when I was there, one is still able to access the downstream side of the dam at Possum Kingdom Lake. You can walk along the security fence, on the river side, or even enter the water, and get very close to the dam. Here, and at the bridge further downstream along Hwy 16, is a good place for trout, striped bass and catfish - for those who like to fish...
The times I've been there, the water temps were posted, and were near or well over 100 degress - in the summer months.
Also, my mother, sister and step-father went there to attempt dives for their open water certification, also in the late 90's, and vis was very, very poor.
I also once knew someone who worked for the security company contracted to provide security to the plant, prior to 9/11, and even then security was very strict - I doubt it will ever open again to the general public.
Suprisingly, after 9/11, and a year ago or so when I was there, one is still able to access the downstream side of the dam at Possum Kingdom Lake. You can walk along the security fence, on the river side, or even enter the water, and get very close to the dam. Here, and at the bridge further downstream along Hwy 16, is a good place for trout, striped bass and catfish - for those who like to fish...
OP
I knew all of that information. Thanks for the info but from what I know is that all of the other nuclear plants that had shut down after 9/11 Squaw Creek is the only one that has not reopened. I was simply wondering if anyone had heard if it was going to open back up anytime soon.
waytooslow
Contributor
not anytime soon. This is a sticking point on many texas fishing forums.
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