Supplemental environmental projects take on many forms. City crews removed 300 tires, along with household appliances, construction materials, and household waste. The 700-acre lake, owned by the San Antonio Water System, was used for decades as a sewage dump site, but now is being cultivated as a wetlands and wildlife refuge.
Wetlands increase the diversity and support for native wildlife.
A well-known feeding and resting grounds for migratory birds, the property has attracted more than 300 bird species, including some that are endangered. The Bexar County site is closed to the public, but environmentalists and city consultants are drawing up plans to turn Mitchell Lake and surrounding land into a public park, possibly with an education center for school children. The city of Roma was fined for violations in connection with its landfill operations. Imperial Holly Corp., which operates a large sugar refining facility in Sugar Land, was cited for noncompliance with state wastewater discharge requirements. Completed in 1999, the five-acre facility provides training and education on wetlands preservation for the Fort Bend school district and is part of a study on the ability of wetlands to reduce sediment and undesirable nutrients.