WTP stands for Water Treatment Plant—which is another term for the city's sewage treatment or wastewater treatment facility. 

WTPs are particularly good spots in the dry regions of Texas for wintering waterfowl because of the presence of water in an otherwise dry, arid region.

The ponds normally have lots of waterfowl during winter. Check/scan all ponds for wintering ducks.

Scan the ponds from your vehicle (your vehicle will act as a bird blind to help reduce the likelihood you will flush the ducks and other waterfowl) or park at the entrance and walk the road. 

Sparrows might be found on the left side of the road. The property on the west side of the fence is private property. Please do not trespass!

The large pecan/hackberry trees on the fence line may be loaded with warblers, vireo's and flycatchers during spring and fall migration. Yellow-headed Blackbirds especially like the large pecan trees in late April and May. 

Be sure to scan the shorelines. If a pond is low a foot or so, shorebirds might be found.  Usually, however, the ponds are too full. Unfortunately, the best shorebird ponds are not visible from this road. 

Watch the sky. This is the best place for Peregrine Falcon, Merlin and Cooper's Hawk. They like to feed on ducks or Killdeer. Zone-tailed Hawks have been found at the WTP on numerous occasions.

There is a middle gate a couple hundred yards east on Farm-to-Market Road 2169 from the entrance road. This gate has to be locked due to TCEQ regulations if no city/county personnel are present. 

Staff are usually present on Wednesdays, however, so the middle gate is usually open and a birder can drive-in and park on the side of the road and bird the whole area.

Use the levee around the middle pond to be your blind, "peeking" over it with just your head showing without walking up on the top. If you walk on top of the levee, most of the birds will get nervous and flush.

The city graciously permits birders on the property. Please don't trespass when gates are closed which might result in birders being barred from the property.

One local birder believes the sludge pond (middle pond--only possibly open on Wednesdays) at the Junction WTP is the best shorebird spot between San Antonio’s Mitchell Lake and the Sandia Wetlands and Lake Balmorhea in the town of Balmorhea, a distance of 400 miles, because of the arid West Texas habitat and the quality of the protected habitat at the pond.

The fenceline on the east side of property is also very good but can only be birded from inside the facility (when the gate to the middle sludge pond is open, usually on Wednesdays).

From the main road, one should be able to bird the hotspot in 30 minutes or so. If one is able to access the sludge pond, it could take 1.5 hours to bird the whole area.

Wintering waterfowl and sparrows.

Say's Phoebes may be found in the field west of the facility road, on the levees around the ponds, on the plumbing at each pond or on top of the metal building in the middle of the facility.

Flocks of Lark Buntings might be found in the pastures in the winter.

WTP stands for Water Treatment Plant—which is another term for the city's sewage treatment or wastewater treatment facility. 

WTPs are particularly good spots in the dry regions of Texas for wintering waterfowl because of the presence of water in an otherwise dry, arid region.

The entrance road and gate is always open making the main ponds and road available to the birding public. 

This location is at the Farm-to-Market Road 2169 exit (Martinez Street) off of Interstate 10. 

There are 3 Junction exits off of IH-10. Martinez Street (FM 2169) is the middle one. Exit and go east 0.75 miles to this entrance.

You may park at the Sunoco Gas Station/Convenience store at the exit to carpool in one vehicle. 

None. The gravel road is a hard-packed surface and may be suitable for a wheelchair or scooter.