By Brandt Mannchen

Being a Houston Sierra Club outings leader is a rewarding and joyful experience.  In part, that’s because of the wonderful people you meet when you visit a local, regional, state, or national park or other protected area on a Sierra Club outing.

Recently, I had the pleasure of leading a Houston Sierra Club outing to Sheldon Lake State Park (SLSP) on Carpenter’s Bayou, a tributary of Buffalo Bayou.  It was an exciting and educational event.  I want to thank the people who came including Marilyn, Lola, Karen, the two Davids, Steven, Linda, Nino, Vivian, Luther, and Michael for making this outing successful.

We strolled on the boardwalks of SLSP through some of the 400 acres of native tall-grass prairie that have been restored and the 57 acres of freshwater prairie potholes that have been rehabilitated.  Impressive native grasses and wildflowers were present including Switch Grass, Little Bluestem, Eastern Gama Grass, Indian Grass, Beggar Tick, Swamp Sunflower, and many others.

By using old topo maps, aerial photos, and more recent UV images, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) found and restored lifegiving prairie potholes that provide wetland plants with a home and animals with a place to keep cool and drink water.

Mud bugs can find the water several feet down at Sheldon Lake State Park. By Linda Mundwiller.

SLSP is historic due to its’ 150-year legacy of farming, and in the early 1940’s, its’ contribution to World War II.  A lake was constructed in 1942-1943, by the U.S. government Works Progress Administration, to provide water to nascent Houston Ship Channel Industries for the war effort.

After 1945, the land was given to the City of Houston.  The City of Houston used the lake for water supply until 1955, when after Lake Houston was constructed, Sheldon Lake was no longer needed and was sold to the Texas Fish, Game, and Oyster Commission, the progenitor of TPWD.  It was then operated by the State of Texas as a Wildlife Management Area and a fish hatchery from 1955 to 1975.  In 1984, the area was designated a state park.

The day was beautiful, full of sun, clear, cloudless, skies, and wonderful company.  We talked about the native prairies, wetlands, and forests that make-up SLSP and saw grasshoppers, dragonflies, bumblebees, and birds including Pied-billed Grebe, White Ibis, Carolina Wren, Great-tailed Grackle, Ruby Crowned Kinglet, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, and sitting majestically in the distance on a snag, a Bald Eagle.

We also, when viewing the wooded ponds left over from fish hatchery days, enjoyed seeing American Alligators, Green Anoles, Red-eared Sliders, blooming White Water Lillies, and Water Lotus.

After the hike was over, we sat under shaded picnic benches and ate our lunches.  We solved the World’s problems via spirited discussions and lilting laughter.  When we left, we were happy, tired but invigorated that Nature had showed us some of its secrets and given us memories to remember for the rest of our days.

Visit Sheldon Lake State Park and you too can have these carefree thoughts and feelings!