‘So many opportunities’: What will become of Burn Lake in Las Cruces?
LAS CRUCES, New Mexico What was once a glistening lake in west Las Cruces is now a pit filled with trash and brush.
“I want to make sure people are excited to come to this park, said Councilwoman Johana Bencomo, who said improving Burn Lake is a top priority.
Back in the 1960s, Burn Construction bought the land and removed more than three million cubic yards of dirt for highway construction, according to a 2011 presentation by the City of Las Cruces Public Works Department.
When it filled up with drainage water, the city rezoned the land and created a lake for public use. It has a capacity of 283 acre feet, or more than 92 million gallons of water.