Since the closing of the Big Brown Plant and Mine in February of 2018, Freestone County residents, as well as guests who frequent the park, have had concerns about the future of Fairfield Lake State Park.
“After closing, the site entered decommissioning and an evaluation began on future uses for the property,” says Vistra Energy/Luminant Director of Media Relations, Meranda Cohn. “The evaluation showed that there is adequate market interest for the property. The company made the decision to sell the property, including the 1,460-acre Fairfield Lake State Park property leased to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), and the bid process is on-going.”
“The TPWD’s lease for the park began in 1971 and expires in October 2020,” she continues. “However, the park could close prior to the lease expiration, or on the date of the lease expiration, depending upon the results of the timing of the property transfer. The park could potentially remain open should a new owner pursue a lease with TPWD.”
Texas Utilities, now known as Vistra Energy/Luminant, completed construction of the dam in 1969, creating Fairfield Lake as a cooling system for the power plant.
The State Park and lake were opened up to the public in 1976.
Located on FM 3285, the State Park has facilities for picnicking, nature study, hiking, biking, fishing, swimming, boating, water skiing, wildlife observation, bird watching, and horseback riding on 15 miles of day-use equestrian trails.
Also offered at the park are picnic sites, playground areas, campsites, screened shelters, a recreation hall, a campground pavilion, boat dock, an amphitheater, a lighted fishing pier, an ATV/mini bike area of 10 acres, and 4.5 miles of hike and bike trails.
“When the plant shut down, it ceased circulating warmer waters through the lake,” explains TPWD Director of Communications, Josh Havens. “So far, the only adverse effects that we can attribute to the cooler water temperatures have been a gradual die-off of tilapia. The largemouth bass and catfish fisheries, along with wildlife population around the lake, appear to remain largely unaffected by the plant’s closure.”
He continues, “On a positive note, with water temps cooling, we do expect a broader range of summertime activities (swimming, boating, tubing, etc) to pick up on the lake. In the past, the water temperature could get high during the summer; and cooler waters should be much more enjoyable for our summer guests and outdoor enthusiasts.”
According to Stephanie Salinas Garcia with the TPWD Press Office, “The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will continue to operate under the existing lease with Luminant, Inc. We hope to continue the lease with the new owners in the future.”
