Peña Blanca Lake has come back to life, and all it took were some winter desert storms.
Thanks to more than four inches of rain in Southern Arizona this year, Peña Blanca Lake is full again and reopened to the public.
Created in 1957, Peña Blanca Lake was a hotspot for fishing, boating and camping. Northwest of Nogales at an altitude of 4,000 feet, the lake was a cooler oasis for Tucsonans seeking refuge from the valley heat.
But the lake was drained in September 2008 to filter out deadly mercury which had leached in from surrounding mines. Once empty, the lakebed was lined with clean soil and the winter storms have since refilled it to the brim.
Outdoorsmen and families can find themselves on the shores of this revived Southern Arizona treasure an hour's drive from Tucson.
The 50-acre lake was recently stocked with rainbow trout, and the Arizona Game and Fish Department has plans to add other species as well. Fishing is open to any angler with an Arizona fishing license.
Currently, boats that can be carried by hand to the water can use the lake. There are plans to build a new dock and boat ramp in April to allow the use of motorized boats.
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