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Reviewer: Malleus Fatuorum 18:07, 23 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]

• The History section should come become the Features section, which might better be renamed Geography.

Lead

• What gives the water its greenish tint?

• "... it is considered the largest natural freshwater lake entirely in Texas". That sounds like there's some doubt. Are there some who do not consider it the largest natural freshwater lake entirely in Texas? If so, why?

• "The lake was once home to an affluent 19th-century agricultural community of the same name ...". They surely didn't live in the lake.

• "... which dwindled in size and prestige during the 20th century". What is the "prestige" that dwindled? Why was it prestigious?

• "It was strategically important during the early stages of the American Civil War due to its proximity to fresh water and the sea." The subject starting off the previous sentence was "the lake", which makes it appear that the lake was important because of its proximity to fresh water and the sea, which I guess is not what's intended.

• The lead generally looks a little on the short side. For instance, there's no mention of the discovery of oil, or the lake's flora and fauna.

• "A fictional lake of the same name, but with similar qualities is featured in the 1998 novel Holes." Why "but with"? Doesn't seem to make sense.

• "Although less than 3 miles (4.8 km) from the coast at San Antonio Bay ...". Should that be of San Antonio Bay? The way it's written makes it look like the lake is at San Anonio Bay.

History

• "While the troops were on the lake ...". There's a general tendency in the article to conflate the body of water with its surrounding area. Another example is "There is evidence that the Karankawa Indians had a presence on the lake ..." On the lake?

• "Early in the American Civil War, Federal troops under Colonel Carlos Waite, who had replaced General David E. Twiggs, were stationed near the lake while they waited for ships to evacuate Texas. During their stay Texas seceded from the Union, and called for the capture of all federal military companies to either join the Confederacy or be imprisoned. Some of the remaining uncaptured companies attempted to flee to Green Lake, where they could safely wait to depart, near an adequate source of freshwater." Is it to be "Federal" or "federal"? Also, the chronology doesn't work. At first we're told that federal troops were stationed near the lake, then we're told that they attempted to flee to Green Lake. Presumably the ships they were waiting for docked in San Antonio Bay, not on the lake?

• "This finding was revealed during the Texas Courts of Appeals' 1917 Welder v. State decision". What finding? That about $100,000 worth of fish a year were extracted from the lake? That's hardly a "finding". Also, the statistic wouldn't have been introduced in the decision, but presumably in the hearing.

Flora and fauna

• There a passing mention of some unidentified birds, and an even more cursory mention of some kind of fishing industry, but no discussion of the lake's flora and fauna. For instance, what species of fish live in the lake? What species of birds live in and around the lake? Is it a stopping-off point for migratory birds? Any amphibians?

• "Redfish and trout mainly lived in the lake until the construction of the levee ...". So they spent some of their time living elsewhere as well? In town perhaps?

• "A large amount of silt is now diverted to the lake". Diverted from where?

• "... forests of pecan, black willow, cedar, American elm, hackberry and green ash can be spotted among the wetlands of the south". Not quite sure what this is getting at. What is the vegetation around the lake? A mixture of these forests and wetlands? Can we say it more directly?

References

• Citation #14 just says Sachar, no page number.

• The dates are not formatted consistently, for instance "May 30, 2010" and "25 June 2010". Need to pick either the US or international format and use it consistently.

I'm satisfied that this article now meets the GA criteria. Malleus Fatuorum 20:58, 3 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]