Lake Hico
| Company type | Reservoir |
|---|---|
| Industry | Utilities, Recreation (historical) |
| Founded | 1950s |
| Headquarters | Jackson , United States |
Area served | Jackson, Mississippi |
| Owner | State of Mississippi |
| Parent | Entergy (former lessee) |
Lake Hico is a reservoir created in the 1950s on 16th section school land located in Jackson, Mississippi. Its main purpose was to provide cooling water for the nearby Rex Brown Plant, a steam-driven power generation facility. While initially accessible for public recreational use, the lake was closed to visitors in the late 1960s due to racial integration issues and tensions surrounding public swimming areas.
The reservoir was developed following an agreement with Hinds County supervisors and served dual roles: industrial cooling and recreation. The Rex Brown Plant originally operated on oil but switched to natural gas during the 1970s as a response to increasing oil prices. Public usage of Lake Hico decreased after the opening of Barnett Reservoir nearby, compounded by rising liability expenses after several drowning incidents. Additionally, the adjacent Hico Park was shut down following a 1975 lawsuit focused on integration efforts. The Rex Brown Plant has since been completely dismantled.
Water feeding into Lake Hico is primarily supplied through a five-mile pipeline sourced from the Pearl River. Although the lake is near the origin of Eubanks Creek, this creek does not flow through it. The name "Hico" is derived as an abbreviation of Hinds County, where the reservoir is situated.
Ownership of Lake Hico resides with the State of Mississippi, which leases it to Entergy, the operator of the Rex Brown Plant, via its 16th section lands trust. This lease arrangement, administered by Mississippi's Secretary of State, produces annual revenue of $258,000. The lake spans over 500 acres and includes an island exceeding 100 acres that separates warmer discharge waters from cooler sections. Facilities once included a concrete boat ramp and it was home to the Jackson Yacht Club until the larger Ross Barnett Reservoir became available in the early 1960s.
Presently, Lake Hico is secured by a six-foot chain-link fence marked with "no trespassing" signs, isolating it from a neighboring city park.
In 2020, Entergy ceased operations at the Rex Brown Plant and surrendered its lease on Lake Hico, returning control of the reservoir to the Jackson Public School District (JPS). By September of that year, JPS instructed Entergy to drain the lake and breach the levee dividing warm and cool water zones as part of planned future developments.