STC group returns to Delta Lake for more testing

DELTA REGION - Debbie Villalon and her students are taking another dip into Delta Lake to see if the water is safe for the public. And this time, the group is bringing along others interested in reopening access to the lake if it is.

Last year, Villalon, a biology professor at South Texas College's Mid-Valley campus, and her students collected water samples and sent those specimens to a lab in Arizona to find out if an amoeba that forced the lake's closure still lurked in the water.

Lab tests confirmed that the microbe was no longer present in the water, and those results have prompted local recreation groups, environmental agencies and other groups to look into reopening the public portion of the lake.

Health officials closed access to the lake about 30 years ago after a swimmer ingested the amoeba while swimming and died. Since then, Delta Lake Park remains empty and the lake level continues to recede because less water is being pumped into the large reservoir.

On Saturday, Villalon and about 40 of her students, as well as chemistry students and their professor Ludivina Avila, will collect more samples from the lake and conduct water quality tests. Representatives from Los Caminos del Rio, a nonprofit group that promotes historical preservation and eco-tourism, will take the students out on the lake in canoes.

Villalon said she and her students plan to send more samples to the same lab in Arizona to confirm the water is still safe. The group will also be joined by STC business students who will assess the area for ecotourism potential.

"It's become more disciplinary, having other majors (get involved in the project)," Villalon said.

Representatives from local birding centers, chambers of commerce and state environmental agencies are expected to visit the park as well and discuss with the STC group where the project will go, Villalon said.

"We want to demonstrate it is a cool place to hang out," she said.