Lake LBJ
Encyclopedia
Lake Lyndon B. Johnson (or Lake LBJ) is a reservoir
on the Colorado River
in the Texas Hill Country
in the United States
. The reservoir was formed in 1950 by the construction of Granite Shoals Dam by the Lower Colorado River Authority
. The Colorado River
and the Llano River meet in the northern portion of the lake. The lake was originally called Lake Granite Shoals. The dam would be renamed Wirtz Dam
in 1952 for Alvin J. Wirtz, the first general counsel of the LCRA, and the lake was renamed to Lake Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965 in honor of U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson. In addition to his work to enact the Rural Electrification Act that formed the basis for building the Highland Lakes, President Johnson owned a ranch on the lake (which was separate and apart from the LBJ Ranch in Stonewall, Texas), and he and Mrs. Johnson entertained national and foreign dignitaries on the lake during his vice presidency and presidency.
The towns of Granite Shoals
, Kingsland
, Horseshoe Bay
, Highland Haven, and Sunrise Beach are located on the lake, which is also near Marble Falls
. The lake is used as a venue for aquatic recreation and provides cooling water for the Thomas J. Ferguson power plant operated by the LCRA. The boundary line separating Burnet County
and Llano County
runs down the center of the lake. Lake LBJ is located 45 miles northwest of Austin
.
The other reservoirs on the Colorado River
are Lake Buchanan, Inks Lake
, Lake Marble Falls
, Lake Travis
, Lake Austin
, and Lady Bird Lake.
, white bass
, catfish
, and crappie
. Lake LBJ is one of the Texas Highland Lakes
infested with hydrilla
, a non-native aquatic plant species, and the LCRA is undergoing treatment to eradicate the hydrilla.
that is located on its shores.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
on the Colorado River
Colorado River (Texas)
The Colorado River is a river that runs through the U.S. state of Texas; it should not be confused with the much longer Colorado River which flows from Colorado into the Gulf of California....
in the Texas Hill Country
Texas Hill Country
The Texas Hill Country is a vernacular term applied to a region of Central Texas featuring tall rugged hills consisting of thin layers of soil atop limestone or granite. It also includes the Llano Uplift and the second largest granite monadnock in the United States, Enchanted Rock, which is located...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The reservoir was formed in 1950 by the construction of Granite Shoals Dam by the Lower Colorado River Authority
Lower Colorado River Authority
The Lower Colorado River Authority or LCRA is a nonprofit public utility that was created in November 1934 by the Texas Legislature. LCRA's mission is to protect people, property and the environment by providing public services for more than one million people in Central and Southeast Texas...
. The Colorado River
Colorado River (Texas)
The Colorado River is a river that runs through the U.S. state of Texas; it should not be confused with the much longer Colorado River which flows from Colorado into the Gulf of California....
and the Llano River meet in the northern portion of the lake. The lake was originally called Lake Granite Shoals. The dam would be renamed Wirtz Dam
Wirtz Dam
Wirtz Dam was constructed from 1949 to 1950 in tandem with Max Starcke Dam to provide hydroelectric power and to form Lake LBJ, one of the Texas Highland Lakes. Originally called Granite Shoals Dam, it was renamed in 1951, in honor of Alvin J. Wirtz, who had been instrumental in the formation of...
in 1952 for Alvin J. Wirtz, the first general counsel of the LCRA, and the lake was renamed to Lake Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965 in honor of U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson. In addition to his work to enact the Rural Electrification Act that formed the basis for building the Highland Lakes, President Johnson owned a ranch on the lake (which was separate and apart from the LBJ Ranch in Stonewall, Texas), and he and Mrs. Johnson entertained national and foreign dignitaries on the lake during his vice presidency and presidency.
The towns of Granite Shoals
Granite Shoals, Texas
Granite Shoals is a city in Burnet County, Texas, United States. The reported 2010 census population was 4,910.-Geography:Granite Shoals is located at . This is seven miles west of Marble Falls and 44 miles northwest of Austin, on a bend on the east shore of Lake Lyndon B...
, Kingsland
Kingsland, Texas
Kingsland is a census-designated place in Llano County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,584 at the 2000 census. Texas Ranch to Market Road 1431 runs through the community.-Geography:...
, Horseshoe Bay
Horseshoe Bay, Texas
Horseshoe Bay is a city in Burnet and Llano Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. Prior to its incorporation in September 2005, it was a census-designated place . The CDP population was 3,337 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, Highland Haven, and Sunrise Beach are located on the lake, which is also near Marble Falls
Marble Falls, Texas
Marble Falls is a city in Burnet County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,959 at the 2000 census.Marble Falls is about northwest of Austin and north of San Antonio...
. The lake is used as a venue for aquatic recreation and provides cooling water for the Thomas J. Ferguson power plant operated by the LCRA. The boundary line separating Burnet County
Burnet County, Texas
Burnet County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 34,147. The 2008 Census Bureau Estimate was 44,488. Its county seat is Burnet. Burnet is named for David Gouverneur Burnet, the first president of the Republic of Texas...
and Llano County
Llano County, Texas
Llano County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 19, 301. Its county seat is Llano, and the county is named for the Llano River....
runs down the center of the lake. Lake LBJ is located 45 miles northwest of Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.
The other reservoirs on the Colorado River
Colorado River (Texas)
The Colorado River is a river that runs through the U.S. state of Texas; it should not be confused with the much longer Colorado River which flows from Colorado into the Gulf of California....
are Lake Buchanan, Inks Lake
Inks Lake
Inks Lake is a reservoir on the Colorado River in the Texas Hill Country in the United States. The reservoir was formed in 1938 by the construction of Inks Dam by the Lower Colorado River Authority. Located near Burnet, Texas, the lake serves to provide flood control in tandem with Lake Buchanan...
, Lake Marble Falls
Lake Marble Falls
Lake Marble Falls is a reservoir on the Colorado River in the Texas Hill Country in the United States. The reservoir was formed in 1951 by the construction of Max Starcke Dam by the Lower Colorado River Authority. Originally named Marble Falls Dam, the dam was renamed in 1962 for Max Starcke, the...
, Lake Travis
Lake Travis
Lake Travis is a reservoir on the Colorado River in central Texas in the United States. The reservoir was formed in 1942 by the construction of Mansfield Dam on the western edge of Austin, Texas by the Lower Colorado River Authority...
, Lake Austin
Lake Austin
Lake Austin is a reservoir on the Colorado River in Austin, Texas in the United States. The reservoir was formed in 1939 by the construction of Tom Miller Dam by the Lower Colorado River Authority....
, and Lady Bird Lake.
Fish and wildlife populations
Lake LBJ has been stocked with several species of fish intended to improve the utility of the reservoir for recreational fishing. Fish present in Lake LBJ include largemouth bassLargemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
, white bass
White bass
The white bass or sand bass The white bass or sand bass The white bass or sand bass (MoroneIt is the state fish of Oklahoma.- Range :White bass are distributed widely across the United States, particularly in the midwest. They are very abundant in Pennsylvania and the area around Lake Erie...
, catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
, and crappie
Crappie
Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...
. Lake LBJ is one of the Texas Highland Lakes
Texas Highland Lakes
The Texas Highland Lakes is a chain of seven reservoirs in Central Texas formed by several dams on the Colorado River. This portion of the river winds southeast from its headwaters near the border of Texas and New Mexico to Matagorda Bay and the Gulf of Mexico...
infested with hydrilla
Hydrilla
Hydrilla is an aquatic plant genus, usually treated as containing just one species, Hydrilla verticillata, though some botanists divide it into several species. Synonyms include H. asiatica, H. japonica, H. lithuanica, and H. ovalifolica...
, a non-native aquatic plant species, and the LCRA is undergoing treatment to eradicate the hydrilla.
Recreational uses
Most of the property bordering Lake LBJ is privately owned. The Nightengale Archaeological Center at Kingsland is a unique educational park operated by the Lower Colorado River Authority that is adjacent to Lake LBJ. The popularity of Lake LBJ is largely due to its normally constant level water which provides ideal conditions for boating, water-skiing, jet-skiing and other water sports.Cooling water
The lake provides cooling water for the Thomas C. Ferguson Power PlantThomas C. Ferguson Power Plant
The Thomas C. Ferguson Power Plant is a natural gas fired power plant located near Marble Falls, Texas in Llano County, Texas. It is owned and operated by the Lower Colorado River Authority. The plant was completed in 1974, and has a generating capacity of 420 megawattsCooling water is provided...
that is located on its shores.