Lake Tyler/Lake Tyler East

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The City of Tyler is responsible for maintenance of the dams, spillways, outlet works, and associated appurtenances at Lake Tyler, Lake Tyler East, and Lake Bellwood.

The City also monitors the watershed of each of these lakes for active and potential sources of pollution. In addition, City staff also patrols Lake Tyler and Lake Tyler East to enforce water quality regulations and provides maintenance of 21 miles of roadway, 4 public recreation areas and 3 public boat ramps around the lakes.

The City also maintains the raw water pump stations, located on Lake Tyler and Lake Palestine, which deliver raw water to the two water treatment plants owned by the City for treatment and distribution to the citizens of Tyler.

Payments

Make a Water Bill, Lake Tyler Lease or Lake Tyler East Registration payment.

Rules and Regulations

The rules and regulations for Lake Tyler / Lake Tyler East are outlined in Chapter 19, Article VI of the City of Tyler Code of Ordinances. A link to the Code of Ordinances can be found in the Documents / Forms section on this page (top right).

Use the folder system on the left side of the screen to navigate to Chapter 19, or use the search form and type in your such term, such as Lake Tyler, boating, fishing, camping, concessions, dams, barges, etc. to find the articles you are interested in.

Lake Tyler East Residents

The City of Tyler does not own the residential lots surrounding Lake Tyler East. However, the City of Tyler does own a sanitary control easement that extends 100 feet back of the 378' elevation line and does have a responsibility to monitor and maintain the water quality of the lake. Therefore, the Smith County Court provided a ruling on the responsibility of the City, as well as the responsibilities of the property owners surrounding Lake Tyler East, so that the City can fulfill its responsibilities.

In the Documents / Forms section of this page, there is a link to the Smith County Court document, commonly referred to as "Exhibit B", that is applicable to all property owners with lakefront property on Lake Tyler East. Property owners on Lake Tyler East should pay particular attention to Paragraph (u) which specifies the requirements to register the property in their name with the City of Tyler. A Lake Tyler East Registration Form is also provided in the Documents / Forms section of this page.

Lake Tyler Lot Transfers

In accordance with City of Tyler Code of Ordinances, all transfers of leases, including transfers to heirs, must be approved by the City of Tyler. All requests for lease transfers or Consent to Mortgage must be made in writing, using the Document Request provided in the Documents / Forms section on this page.

If the actual current lessee does not match the City's record of current lessee, then it is up to the Requestor to provide documentation showing the chain of transfers. Transfer documents and related fees will be required for each interim transfer to bring the City's records up to date.

The fee schedule is as follows:

Consent to Mortgage - $100.00 per each
Lease Transfer - $150.00 per each
Lease Transfer by Will or Devise - $300.00 per each
Lease Addendum - $100.00 per each
Filing Fee (if filed by City) - $100.00 per each

For questions, please call Kate Dietz at (903)531-1234

Documents and Forms

Construction

Following adoption of the Lake Tyler Master Plan and since November 2011, construction on City-owned (leased) property on Lake Tyler, as well as construction over the water and within marginal lands on Lake Tyler East, requires permitting through the City of Tyler Building Services Department. The permitting process begins with an application to Building Services located at 423 W. Ferguson, Tyler, Texas and requires both a Lake Tyler / Lake Tyler East Approval for Construction Form as well as the appropriate Building Permit Application Form. Both forms are conveniently available in the Building Services office and are available for download here.

All construction must comply with requirements of the City of Tyler Code of Ordinances Chapter 19, Article VI and the City of Tyler Building Codes, Chapter 6, Article I. A link to the Code of Ordinances can be found in the Documents / Forms section on this page (right).

For more information, please contact Building Services at (903) 531-1151 or visit their website.

Lake Tyler and Lake Tyler East History

Lake Tyler was constructed in 1949 and covers approximately 2,400 surface acres. This lake has served as a major water supply source since its construction. Lake Tyler also serves as a major recreation center for this area, under strict sanitary controls. The City maintains six recreational areas adjacent to Lake Tyler and Lake Tyler East. Lake Tyler is located on Prairie Creek, a tributary of Mud Creek, and lies in the Angelina River watershed. It has a storage capacity of over 15 billion gallons (46,000 acre feet) at spillway elevation and has an average depth of 17.6 feet. It has a watershed area of 42 square miles.

Lake Tyler East was completed and the dam closed in 1967. The lake was filled to capacity in 1968 and is connected to Lake Tyler by a connecting channel. This channel, in effect, forms one lake with Lake Tyler from the standpoint of water supply. Lake Tyler East has a surface area of approximately 2,500 acres, a watershed area of 62 square miles and an average depth of 16.5 feet. The lake has slightly less storage area than Lake Tyler. The two lakes have a combined safe yield of approximately 30 million gallons per day (mgd). Lake Tyler East is located on Mud Creek and lies in the Angelina River watershed. Recreational use of this lake is the same as for Lake Tyler.