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Lake GibbonsTEXAS |
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• River: Navasota River • Surface Area: 131 Acres • Volume: 1,394 Acre Feet • Drainage Area: 2 Square Miles Originally constructed in the year 1900, the lake served as the municipal water supply for Paris, Texas, until 1923. It was then that construction of Lake Crook was completed and it replaced Lake Gibbons as the Paris water supply. Since that time, the 600-acre Gambill Canadian Goose Refuge has served its two-legged visitors with hiking trails and magnificent wildlife and wildflower viewing opportunities. And the wild, migratory geese are afforded a safe and nurturing resting place, whether it be for over-wintering, or for a place of rest and revitalization before they carry on to the next leg of their journey. DRIVING DIRECTIONS From the intersection of US 82 and US 271 in north Paris, go west on US 82 for 1.3 miles to FM 79. Bear right (west) on FM 79 and travel 3.3 miles to FM 2820. Turn left on FM 2820 and follow it west 2.0 miles to the Refuge road on the right. Turn right and go 0.6 miles to the lakeshore access road on the right. Latitude: 33.7046 Longitude: -95.6531 Phone: (903) 784-9299 ABOUT LAKE GIBBONS AND THE GAMBILL GOOSE REFUGE Excerpt from the TPWD-Great Texas Wildlife Trails website… “Many years ago on the banks of Gibbons Lake, a man named John Gambill started feeding migratory geese on his land. The practice eventually attracted several thousand geese annually. When John Gambill died in 1961, his 600 acres became a permanent refuge for waterfowl, and is today managed by the City of Paris. Although spectacular in winter, the lake hosts a variety of wildlife year round. Visitors driving along the western shore in summer could see Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, along with Lark Sparrows and Dickcissels. The lake also attracts a diversity of swallows, with Barn Swallows and Purple Martins being most numerous. The resident population of Canada Geese is occasionally joined by summering Snow, Blue or White-fronted Geese. The geese are commonly fed and the easy food source attracts dozens of sizable Western Chicken Turtles and Red-eared Sliders. The fields around the lake are often filled with wildflowers, attracting numerous butterflies and dragonflies. Courtesy of: The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Great Texas Wildlife Trails– Prairies and Pineywoods East Wildlife Trail Pine Creek Watershed Work Plan, USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service Read more about John C. Gambill and his endearing legacy for the wild, migratory geese of Texas. |
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