FAST FACTS

  1. There are seven Highland Lakes, part of a series of freshwater lakes in Central Texas along the lower Colorado River.
  2. From upstream to downstream, the lakes are Lake Buchanan, Inks Lake, Lake LBJ, Lake Marble Falls, Lake Travis, Lake Austin, and Lady Bird Lake.
  3. Lake Buchanan and Lake Travis are the reservoirs which provide drinking water for all of Central Texas — over 1.4 million people!
  4. The lakes cover an 85-mile expanse from northwest of Austin through Central Austin.
  5. The Highland Lakes span three Texas counties: Llano, Burnet, and Travis.
  6. All the Highland Lakes are popular for fishing, boating, camping, vacationing, and wildflower viewing.
  7. The lakes were created by dams built in the 1930s and 1940s.
  8. Central Texas and the Texas Hill Country sit within "Flash Flood Alley," and operation of these dams reduces or eliminates dangerous flooding in the region.
  9. The lakes also generate hydroelectric power and capture rainwater.
  10. In addition to drinking water, the lakes supply water for businesses, agriculture, industry and the environment.

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BACKGROUND ON THE LAKES

Lake Buchanan is a reservoir formed by the construction of Buchanan Dam in 1939 by the Lower Colorado River Authority to provide a water supply for the region and to provide hydroelectric power. It is the anchor lake for the Highland Lakes system, famous for striped bass fishing and bald eagles.
Area: 22,017 acres
Surface elevation when full: 1,020'

Inks Lake is a pass through lake on the Colorado River in the Texas Hill Country. It was formed in 1938 by the construction of Inks Dam, famous for camping, wildflowers and the Inks Lake State Park.
Area: 777 acres
Surface elevation when full: 888'

Lake Lyndon B. Johnson is a pass through lake on the Colorado River in the Texas Hill Country about 45 miles northwest of Austin. The reservoir was formed in 1950 by the construction of Wirtz Dam to cool the power plant and provide hydroelectricity. This celebrated lake offers boating, swim- ming, community parks and a yacht club.
Area: 6,275 acres
Surface elevation when full: 825'

Lake Marble Falls is a pass through lake on the Colorado River in the Texas Hill Country. It was formed in 1951 by the construction of Max Starcke Dam. Beautiful Lake Marble Falls nestles next to the historic town of Marble Falls, noted for its shopping and welcoming tourists.
Area: 591 acres
Surface elevation when full: 738'

Lake Travis is a reservoir on the Colorado River formed in 1942 by the construction of Mansfield Dam on the western edge of Austin, Texas by the Lower Colorado River Authority. It was specifically built to contain floodwaters in a flash-flood prone region and provides great bass fishing, clear water for scuba diving, and famous sunsets.
Area: 18,930 acres
Length: 65.24 mi Surface elevation when full: 681'

Lake Austin, formerly Lake McDonald, is a pass through lake on the Colorado River in Austin, Texas. It was formed in 1940 by the construction of Tom Miller Dam and is a great boating and recreation lake.
Area: 1,830 acres
Surface elevation when full: 492'

Lady Bird Lake is a river-like pass through lake on the Colorado River in Austin, Texas. The City of Austin created the reservoir in 1960 as a cooling pond for a new city power plant. The lake is now used primarily for recreation with paddle trails, hiking and biking trails.
Area: 416 acres
Surface elevation when full: 468'