Big Changes Are Coming To Ascarate Lake In El Paso

Ascarate Lake is almost 90 years old and the city of El Paso has, (finally), decided it's time for an upgrade.

Ascarate Lake is a fairly small lake but, being that we're in the middle of the desert, it's one of the largest in the area. It's totally manmade and was first built, (or dug, filled ... whatever), in 1939. It officially opened to the public in 1940.

Ascarate lake has been around a long time, outlasting other lakes near El Paso like Mountain Shadow and the ones that used to be near the coliseum and in Memorial Park. You can read more about them here.

What Is Happening At Ascarate Lake

According to El Paso Matters, among other things, El Paso now has a cool $30 mill to spend on things like improving water quality, (so the fish won't keep dying), and possibly dredging the bottom to make it deeper.

READ MORE: Funny Theories About El Paso's Cement Lake

FUN FACT: Did you know, at it's deepest points, Ascarate lake is only about 7 feet deep? Yep, it's way shallow.

The city also wants to fix up the walking trail and add new vegetation along the edge of the lake. (That's also more for the health of the fish than the looks of the lake.) Bad news for duck fans though, it looks like the duck pond may be removed.

Being that we don't have too many lakes around here, Ascarate maintains its popularity now pretty much just like it did back in the good old days. Even though the rules about boats on the lake are very different these days.

It's pretty much paddle boats and canoes and such only now. No gas powered motors are allowed but trolling motors are cool.

Ascarate Park's popularity really peaked between the 1960's and the early 2000's. The park's visitor numbers really fell after Western Playland relocated to Sunland Park, New Mexico. The lake itself though has remained a popular destination for, (non-gas powered), boaters, fisherman and peeps just looking to chill.