On the recordMarch 14, 2014
Mr. Speaker, everyone in Texas knows about the Permian Basin's reputation for oil and gas. Every UT Longhorn or Texas A&M Aggie knows about the Permanent University Fund. Not everyone knows the critical role that Big Lake played in each of these, so today, my 23 in 1--taking people to the 23rd District in 1 minute--is about Big Lake. The first well to hit on university lands was the Santa Rita well, which is now enshrined on the UT campus in Austin. Just outside of Big Lake was the site. It was named for the patron saint of the impossible because no one really expected the well to hit. The population went from 100 people to over 2,000. Today, those wells have produced great, great resources for the University of Texas and A&M over a long period of time. There was once a lake in Big Lake; it is dry now. It was fed by springs that are no longer there. They are there only when it has had significant rain. Big Lake is a wonderful place to visit. If you ever have the opportunity, please go. ____________________
