Quarry Lake on the north side? (San Antonio, Canyon: houses, camper, live)

[lemonfresh]

Ok, so a while back on this forum, I believe, someone made a throwaway comment about turning the quarry that now houses Six Flags into a big lake.

Well, that got me thinking, with all the quarries in and around SA, that would be a great idea, not the Six Flags quarry but another quarry, one that's inside 1604.

With how good San Antonio is in redeveloping abandoned quarries ( the Zoo, Sunken Gardens, Japanese Tea Gardens, Quarry Market, Quarry Village, Quarry Golf course, Six Flags, The Rim, NEISD Sports complex, special needs park, etc) I thought maybe a water filled quarry could work. It's worked in other places, so why not.

Anyway, I was looking around and I found one, between DeZavala and Huebner on the north side that would be pretty big.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=...8&z=15&iwloc=A

Not only could it be a recreational lake but also a water reservoir for the aquifer.

Does anyone have any information on the current status of this quarry?

[majormadmax]

From that image, that quarry still looks very active! Zoom in and you will see vehicles all over the NW side of it.

As for filling a quarry full of water, I think that would take a tremendous amount of water and for what purpose? There are already two large lakes, both man-made and fed by river systems; whereas a quarry would have no natural source. Also, we had several water-filled quarries near where we lived in southern Belgium, and they have almost no recreational value as the design of the quarry itself doesn't present much of one (high walls and limited access to the water). I honestly don't know why the quarries in Belgium held water, but considering the greater volume of rain that area gets compared to San Antonio, I would almost suspect it was just a matter of them being filled naturally.

So what purpose would you propose for this quarry lake? If it is for recreation, there would be no boating, sailing or skiing as the small size would be prohibitive, plus there is already Medina and Canyon lakes. If it is for diving, then there is no financial incentive as the customer base would be rather small. Plus, I don't think there would be much of interest under the waterline. I really can't think of any motivation to fill an old quarry with water...

[lemonfresh]

Recreation in terms of a park, walk/jog track, swimming, etc

Water could be piped in via the aquifer.

[majormadmax]

I think the dangers and cost of a water-filled quarry would prohibit any development.

And filling it would put an great strain on the already depleted Edwards Aquifer. I don't think there would be much support for the filling of an ex-quarry when water restrictions are being enforced.

Don't get me wrong, I wish there were more lakes and rivers in the area; but this proposal just doesn't seem feasible.

But at least they are paving the greenbelt from OP Schnabel up past Prue and southward towards where Leon Creek crosses under Bandera Road! Once completed that will be a nice area to walk/job/bike, and I am happy to see that the mountain bike trails on the opposite side of the creek are still standing!

Cheers! M2

[scuba steve]

Limestone is porous - that water isn't gonna stick around in the quarry for too long.

[catriona]

That quarry is most definitely still active. Trucks routinely come and go all day long, even to the point of having an officer to direct traffic. I believe it is owned/operated by Vulcan Materials Co.

[Camper1]

Originally Posted by lemonfresh

Recreation in terms of a park, walk/jog track, swimming, etc

Water could be piped in via the aquifer.

It could be like Borne City park. Gone out there a few times with the kayaks. Nice thought.

[SnappyBob]

I agree with M-3. It's a totally ridiculous idea.

[majormadmax]

Originally Posted by Camper1

It could be like Borne City park. Gone out there a few times with the kayaks. Nice thought.

I think you meant City Lake in Boerne, which was created by the damming of Cibolo Creek and creating a reservoir to aid in flood control...(full story here (http://www.ci.boerne.tx.us/Facilities/BoerneCityLakePark/tabid/394/Default.aspx - broken link)). That was a completely different situation than filling up an ex-quarry. It is more along the lines of why and how Medina and Canyon lakes were formed.

Boerne City Park is off Hwy 46 East, and a different location. It borders Cibolo Creek as well, but if you've kayaked it, I would be impressed as there was very little water when we hiked there!

Just didn't want people going to City Park looking for a place to kayak. The 100 acres of water at City Lake is a much better venue for doing that!

Cheers! M2

[Camper1]

Originally Posted by majormadmax

I think you meant City Lake in Boerne, which was created by the damming of Cibolo Creek and creating a reservoir to aid in flood control...(full story here (http://www.ci.boerne.tx.us/Facilities/BoerneCityLakePark/tabid/394/Default.aspx - broken link)). That was a completely different situation than filling up an ex-quarry. It is more along the lines of why and how Medina and Canyon lakes were formed.

Boerne City Park is off Hwy 46 East, and a different location. It borders Cibolo Creek as well, but if you've kayaked it, I would be impressed as there was very little water when we hiked there!

Just didn't want people going to City Park looking for a place to kayak. The 100 acres of water at City Lake is a much better venue for doing that!

Cheers! M2

Didn't realize I spelled Boerne wrong!

It's been a few years since I was there but I know it was in Boerne. Wherever the alligator was. There were other people there with their kayaks, paddle boats and canoes. People were even swimming. We had a great time bbqing (sp??).

I think it would be great to have more places like this around.