Whether you’re a social butterfly or introspective, Chrysalis Lake will give you — and our vital pollinators — wings to live your best life. You may have heard that pollinators like bees and bats are declining because of challenges they face in the modern world from habitat loss, disease, parasites, and environmental contaminants. Not on our watch! Allow us to introduce Chrysalis Lake, a sanctuary for them and you!
Located in Bridgeland’s newest addition, Prairieland Village, Chrysalis Lake is a living canvas spanning 61.5 acres, including a 22-acre lake (the size of 16 football fields!) and 39.5 acres of forests and meadows. With 58,000+ pollinator plants that resemble nature’s colorful paintbrushes swaying in the breeze, Prairieland Village’s “Painted by Nature” theme is on full display in Chrysalis Lake.
Inspired by brushstrokes on a canvas and a palette of butterfly colors, Chrysalis Lake’s symbiotic setting includes a recreational lake, habitat islands, meadows, forests, pedestrian bridges, boardwalks and overlooks, a trail undercrossing, boat undercrossing, a bioswale flume, and learning opportunities. Yet, the surface beauty of Chrysalis Lake is just one layer of this colorful and complex canvas.
Ripple the surface and discover that Chrysalis Lake is a wondrous habitat for the wellbeing and enjoyment of Bridgeland’s resident, plant, and animal communities—especially butterflies. And while this oasis may look picture perfect, it is also hard at work, quietly improving stormwater management and air quality, enhancing biodiversity and quality of life.
POLLINATOR FUN FACTS
- One of every three bites of food you eat exists because of pollinators.
- At least 75% of all of the flowering plants on earth are pollinated by insects and animals.
- In the United States, pollination by honeybees and other insects produces nearly $20 billion worth of products annually!
The Magic of Bioswales: Makes Pollution Disappear
Perhaps the magic of Chrysalis Lake starts with its eight bioswales, covering 4.2 acres and a mile in length. These bioswales capture and clean stormwater runoff, removing 90% of pollutants before releasing it into the lake. Here’s how it works: Stormwater runs off roofs and roads; travels down green streets; across artfully arranged stones (that prevent erosion); through soils and native plants (that break down and remove pollutants); then finally into Chrysalis Lake.
BIOSWALE FUN FACTS
- One 4-inch diameter live oak can scrub 481 gallons of stormwater runoff annually.
- One 3-inch diameter bald cypress can clean 110 gallons of stormwater runoff annually.
- One 2-inch diameter bald cypress can reduce atmospheric carbon by 11 pounds annually.
Watery Habitats and Island Life
The depth of Chrysalis Lake varies from one to 10 feet, creating a sanctuary for a variety of wildlife above and below the water’s surface. Dotting the lake are habitat islands totaling 1.3 acres, the size of a football field. The islands provide safe refuge for feeding and nesting for nearly 300 species of birds that are native to or migrate through our area each year.
Upland and Bottomland Forests and Meadows
Surrounding Chrysalis Lake are 39.5-acres of upland and bottomland forests and meadows that beautify and nourish the environment.
BY THE NUMBERS
- The living lake edge totals 7.3-acres along 2.25-miles and is comprised of aquatic plantings.
- The bottomland meadowtotals 7.3 acres and is home to 50 different types of pollinators including birds, bees, butterflies and other insects.
- Located within the bottomland meadow, the 5.3-acre upland meadow has 58,000 pollinator plants for all stages of the pollinator lifecycle.
- The bottomland forest totals 1.3 acres.
- The upland forest totals 2.88 acres.
Reflect, Rest, and Reconnect on Land and Lake
Chrysalis Lake is a place where residents can reflect, rest, and reconnect on land and the lake. The area is pedestrian and boat friendly with pedestrian bridges, boardwalks and overlooks, a trail undercrossing, and a boat undercrossing. Two pedestrian trails, including a 2.25-mile primary trail and a .75-mile secondary trail,provide spaces to learn about the landscape and connect to Bridgeland’s extensive trail system.
Design Inspired by Butterflies, Birds & Insects
The design inspiration for Chrysalis Lake comes from prairie and meadow-like landscaping and the winged wildlife that thrives there. All around Chrysalis Lake, design elements feature their vibrant hues. While the Painted Lady butterfly, one of the most prevalent butterflies in Southeast Texas, embodies the spirit of Prairieland’s “Painted by Nature” design concept, the butterfly color palette is fully represented! There is blue for the Pipevine Swallowtail, Luna Moth, and Eastern Tailed Blue; orange for the Painted Lady and Queen; green for the Cloudless Sulphur; and yellow and gold for the Little Yellow and the Monarch.
And speaking of the treasured Monarch, Prairieland is part of the Texas Monarch Flyway Strategy (Texas MFS), a statewide effort to restore, increase and enhance Monarch habitat in four regions of the state that are critical links in the annual migration from Canada to Mexico and back.