A fisherman enjoys an afternoon fishing near the tunnel that connects Amon Carter Lake to Bowie Reservoir. (Photo by Barbara Green)

This is part of the ongoing Bowie News’ Build a Better Bowie series featuring assets of the community focusing on development and discussion.
By BARBARA GREEN
“Water is the driving force of all nature.”
Those words may have been written by Leonardo DaVinci during the Renaissance, but they ring true today in a world where Mother Nature can bring drought on one end of the country and flood on the other.
North Texas struggled through a major drought in 2014 that continued into the spring of 2015, when the skies opened with generous rain.Within two days it filled the severely depleted Lake Amon G. Carter Lake and Bowie Reservoir. Again, spring and summer 2016 have been wet, maintaining those lake levels.
Owned by the City of Bowie, the lake provides raw water that is treated and then supplied to the residents inside the city, the Amon Carter Water Supply District serving the lake area and Silver Lakes Ranch and several annexed areas along U.S. Highway 81 and State Highway 59.
Drought has been a driving force in developing additional surface water resources throughout the city’s development. Today’s residents are benefiting from the forethought of city fathers who saw the need to develop a secure water supply.

In October 1936, Old Bowie Lake was completed and opened as the new water supply for the community. Located eight miles north of Bowie off U.S. Highway 81, it encompasses 1,286-acre -feet and was constructed as a Works Progress Administration project.

In 1952 according to the Montague County History Book, there was a severe drought. It led the city in February 1952 to lease two water wells from Rock Island Railroad in Stoneburg to supply city water.
By April the water in the lake was below the intake pipe and a pump had to be purchased to get water over the dam. A new water well also was drilled at the lake. Then water restrictions went into effect in Bowie and in September 1952 the city council began discussions on securing a new more ample supply of water.  The future idea for Amon G. Carter Lake was born.

Read the full story in the mid-week News. Also please participate in the lake assets survey on the webpage. (Top photo: Labor Day weekend fun at Selma Park) Photo by Barbara Green