Yes, this is kind of lengthy but I think it is good info, especially for anyone looking for a new dive spot and I didn't want to put all of this in the dive condition thread. Yesterday, I made two dives in Lake Belton. It is about ten minutes from my home. Lake Belton does not have a good reputation for diving. It is mostly considered "black water". A few weeks ago I was doing some fishing at the old Morgan's Point boat ramp at the end of Morgan's Point Drive (near the Morgan's Point pool) and observed the water to be very clear, especially for Lake Belton. So I gave it a shot. The water was still clear (8 to 10 ft viz at 30 ft) but the color of tea due to the leaching from the submerged vegetation. Being an old boat ramp, entry is very easy . Dropping down to about 18 ft, you end up on the surfaced area where folks would maneuver their boats to go down the ramp. Going to the right will take you along a very long and fairly vertical wall with the usual rock formations, small grottos and dead submerged timber providing lots of places to explore. Beginning at about 20 ft, The zebra mussels are everywhere; thousands of them. I suspect this has something to do with the fairly clear water. From a past dive, I know the wall goes down to at least 60 ft. Going to the left of the boat ramp and heading towards the marina takes you along a semi-wall (45 degree angle) with similar topography. Heading perpendicular from the wall at any point takes you over some flats at about 25 ft with 4 to 6 inch thick algae. It reminded me of the blown in insulation in my attic. This offered an excellent opportunity to practice my finning techniques and not stir anything up. This whole area was also at one time a scuba park. There are tons of tires spread around, some bound together forming tubes. At approximately 25 ft depth, I ran across some large concrete slabs with fixed eyelets. I'm sure they had something to do with the boat ramp but would now make excellent training platforms.
I made 2 dives there and really enjoyed both. Plenty of fish to see including a large school of white bass. My max depth was 33 ft with a temp of 83 degrees. There is no danger as far as the nearby marina goes. This area is well out of the way of any boats entering or exiting. Just don't forget your flag.
The area is very nice for divers with families who do not share the experience. Adjacent to the entry point is an oak shaded park with playground equipment, a tennis court, a pavilion with a bar-b-que grill and of course the pool. All of these are available to the public. Shaded Parking is plentiful with large limestone quarry blocks which come in handy for donning and doffing gear.
No, I do not work for the city of Morgan's Point. Actually I work for the city of Temple. It's just that I've lived in this area since '94 and never really thought of diving regularly in Lake Belton. I will now. If anyone wants to join me, just give a holler.
I made 2 dives there and really enjoyed both. Plenty of fish to see including a large school of white bass. My max depth was 33 ft with a temp of 83 degrees. There is no danger as far as the nearby marina goes. This area is well out of the way of any boats entering or exiting. Just don't forget your flag.
The area is very nice for divers with families who do not share the experience. Adjacent to the entry point is an oak shaded park with playground equipment, a tennis court, a pavilion with a bar-b-que grill and of course the pool. All of these are available to the public. Shaded Parking is plentiful with large limestone quarry blocks which come in handy for donning and doffing gear.
No, I do not work for the city of Morgan's Point. Actually I work for the city of Temple. It's just that I've lived in this area since '94 and never really thought of diving regularly in Lake Belton. I will now. If anyone wants to join me, just give a holler.
