This 136-sq-mile lake was formed by the Falcon Dam (1953) on the Rio Grande. Although seemingly tranquil, the lake has also suffered from the border tensions: fishing boats have been beset by pirates as recently as 2010, and the area is a known drug smuggling route. Like so much of the region, there's a pervasive sense of desolation.
On the lake's northeast side is the town of Zapata, named for Emiliano Zapata, land reformer and freedom fighter during the Mexican Revolution (1911–17). The original settlement of Zapata was flooded with the construction of the reservoir, and the residents were moved to the current location. Eighteen miles west of Zapata, a scenic overlook off US 83 provides views of an archetypal Western landscape complete with mesas on the horizon.
