You can see the water tower in the background, so this photo shows a crew cleaning out Cleveland Lake on the east side of the Wood Street bridge. I don't have an exact date, but the car suggests the photo was taken in the mid to late '30s.
At first I thought they were dredging the Lake, but you can see they are removing Water Hyacinths, or some kind of aquatic plants clogging the Lake. The conveyor looks like it takes the plants up the bank and over a truck or trailer for disposal.
Water was an important element in expanding the refinery. Imperial needed water from Oyster Creek to produce steam and serve as a coolant. Of course, Sugarland Industries needed a stable water supply for its farming and ranching operations.
