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    • San Antonio, Texas, USA
      • Randolph Air Force Base
      • Reservoirs
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Reservoirs A San Antonio, Texas, USA story

Cities
  1. Earthshots
  2. San Antonio, Texas, USA
  3. Reservoirs
Description

Calaveras Lake and Victor Braunig Lake are artificial lakes that provide cooling water for nearby power plants. The lakes are also popular fishing and boating destinations. Two of the power plants can be seen in the images, in the crooks of the two larger lakes (Calaveras is on the right).

By contrast, Mitchell Lake, west of Braunig Lake, is a natural lake. The shallow lake is on a migratory bird route and is used by over 300 species as a resting point. Because it is shallower than Braunig Lake and Calaveras Lake (average depth less than 8 feet), Mitchell Lake appears slightly blue in some images.

You’ll also notice a major change just west of Mitchell Lake between the 2002 and 2013 images. The smattering of white along the western edge of the 2013 image is Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas, a manufacturing plant for Toyota pickup trucks. The plant began operations in 2006.

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Location

Dec. 7, 1974, Landsat 1 (path/row 29/40) — Reservoirs, southeastern San Antonio, TX, USA

Dec. 7, 1974, Landsat 1 (path/row 29/40) — Reservoirs, southeastern San Antonio, TX, USA

Nov. 12, 1987, Landsat 5, (path/row 27/40) — Reservoirs, southeastern San Antonio, TX, USA

Nov. 12, 1987, Landsat 5, (path/row 27/40) — Reservoirs, southeastern San Antonio, TX, USA

Nov. 13, 2002, Landsat 7, (path/row 27/40) — Reservoirs, southeastern San Antonio, TX, USA

Nov. 13, 2002, Landsat 7, (path/row 27/40) — Reservoirs, southeastern San Antonio, TX, USA

Nov. 3, 2013, Landsat 8, (path/row 27/40) — Reservoirs, southeastern San Antonio, TX, USA

Nov. 3, 2013, Landsat 8, (path/row 27/40) — Reservoirs, southeastern San Antonio, TX, USA

Nov. 1, 2018, Landsat 8, (path/row 27/40) — Reservoirs, southeastern San Antonio, TX, USA

Nov. 1, 2018, Landsat 8, (path/row 27/40) — Reservoirs, southeastern San Antonio, TX, USA

Dec. 7, 1974, Landsat 1 (path/row 29/40) — Reservoirs, southeastern San Antonio, TX, USA
Nov. 12, 1987, Landsat 5, (path/row 27/40) — Reservoirs, southeastern San Antonio, TX, USA
Nov. 13, 2002, Landsat 7, (path/row 27/40) — Reservoirs, southeastern San Antonio, TX, USA
Nov. 3, 2013, Landsat 8, (path/row 27/40) — Reservoirs, southeastern San Antonio, TX, USA
Nov. 1, 2018, Landsat 8, (path/row 27/40) — Reservoirs, southeastern San Antonio, TX, USA

San Antonio, Texas, USA Additional Imagery & Stories

Randolph Air Force Base
Randolph Air Force Base

Randolph Air Force Base is visible as two white strips northeast of the city. The base’s streets were laid out in a series of concentric circles, with...

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Westward Expansion
Westward Expansion

Pronounced urban/suburban expansion is visible on the west edge of the city. The main outer loop highway visible in all images is 1604. New residentia...

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