White River

Authorized by Congress in 1950, the U.S. Army Corps impounded Lake B.A. Steinhagen at Town Bluff - the confluence of the Neches and Angelina Rivers, with 10,000 acres of surface water for water supply, and hydroelectric power generation. Creation of Lake Steinhagen enabled steadier flow along the lower Neches River, "with continuous releases primarily being through a 'run of the river' hydroelectric plant," said Floyd Boyett, Town Bluff Project natural resource specialist and park ranger. However, "Town Bluff has no flood control prevention benefits attributed to it." The corps also maintains 22,800 acres surrounding the lake, including 13,000 acres it leases to Martin Dies Jr. State Park where visitors come to fish, boat and swim, according to Boyett.

Periodically the dam will be shutdown for either maintenance or in the event of potential hurricanes.

After the water is gone……

Now it is time again to drain the water again and perform maintenance on the dam. What is left?! A sea of green…..how will it appear if there is no green?

Infrared Dock

Darkest Waters

What lies between Land and sea?

Thank you for visiting.

Excert taken from CHRISTINE S. DIAMOND The Lufkin Daily News

Art: Belkis Ayon

There is a reason for everything.  As we journey through life, the experiences that we encounter will either negatively or positively affect us.  But it is up to each person to find inspiration to continue to move forward and become a better, more passionate person as we find our own path to happiness.  As a photographer, I often find inspiration in various aspects of life and art.  

One inspiration that I encountered was through the life and art of Afro-Cuban artist, Belkis Ayon.  Belkis studied at a prestigious intuition and received accolades and recognition for her incredible artwork.  But in spite of her accomplishments, she suffered greatly from depression and eventually took her life.  However, her voice and passion live on today through her works and is still making an impact around the world through museum exhibits. 

The following works may seem haunting and eerie, but she combined Christian beliefs and Abakua (a version of Masonry) to tell her stories.  To learn more about Belkis and her work, click the following link. 

http://www.ayonbelkis.cult.cu/en