LLELA

Tucked into the folds of the soft rolling hills of north central Texas, situated beneath the Lewisville Dam, the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area (LLELA) occupies a unique ecological position in the landscape of North America. It is here where the northwestern-most extent of the bottomland forests stretch fingers into the southern end of the tallgrass prairie of the Midwest; where the Elm Fork of the Trinity River winds its way out of the sandy uplands of the dry Cross Timbers into the deep, rich soils of the Blackland prairies; where agricultural lands intergrate with ranching and a rapidly growing urban expanse.

With its diversity of habitats, LLELA is home to a profusion of wildlife. Within its boundaries one may find mammals such as bobcat, river otter, deer, and mink, along with birds such as wild turkey, painted bunting, and dozens of waterfowl species. LLELA is dotted with sloughs, wetlands, creeks, and dry channels, the landscape features originally wrought by the Elm Fork and its tributaries during flood events. These remain filled by rainwater, flooding, and groundwater discharge, where one may find many ducks, turtles, wading birds, wood ducks, and other waterfowl.

LLELA, also known as the Lewisville Wildlife Management Area, was created in the early 1990s by a consortium of local, state, and national government agencies, who have obtained a 25 year management lease from the US Army Corps of Engineers. Today, the LLELA consortium is comprised of the University of North Texas, Texas A&M University, the City of Lewisville, and the Lewisville Independent School District.

Mandate
The mandate of the LLELA consortium is to develop the area for:

• the preservation and restoration of native habitat and biodiversity
• environmental education, and
• environmental research.

Management Goals
The principal goals of management at LLELA are to preserve and protect native biodiversity and to restore degraded ecosystems, communities, and native biodiversity while providing compatible educational and scientific use of LLELA lands

Hours of Operation

Entrance Fees:
$5.00 per vehicle
LLELA is not able to accept credit cards. We can receive payment by cash only. Pre-scheduled groups can pay by check or cash.

Season Passes: $60 per car - Good from Jan to December (not prorated)
Bring the car you want the Season Pass affixed to when you buy your pass at the LLELA gate. Not affiliated with any state or national park.

Primitive Camping:

• Friday and Saturday nights.
• Check-in no later than one hour before closing.
• Check-out time is by 1:00 p.m. on Saturday and 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.
• Cost: day-use fees plus $10.00 per campsite per night.
• Potable water is available in several locations in the campground.

Group Camping: available for Scouts and other community groups. Call 972-219-3550 for rates and information.

Brochures, Observation Lists (to be used for sightings along trails, etc.) and Maps: