LCRA operates six dams on the lower Colorado River in Central Texas:
Buchanan,
Inks,
Wirtz,
Starcke,
Mansfield and
Tom Miller. These dams form the six Highland Lakes: Buchanan, Inks, LBJ, Marble Falls, Travis and Austin. Two of the Highland Lakes – Buchanan and Travis – are the region’s water supply reservoirs to serve more than 1 million people as well as businesses, industries, the environment and agriculture in the lower Colorado River basin.
Each of the dams was built to help manage floods and generate hydroelectric power. The dams in the Highland Lakes chain have hydroelectric generation stations that contribute to the Central Texas energy supply. Together, the hydroelectric plants at the dams can provide more than 295 megawatts of power.
Read more about LCRA’s hydroelectric generation
LCRA moves water downstream to meet water supply needs through hydroelectric turbines, creating power along the way. Power generation at LCRA's six dams along the Highland Lakes was once the major source of LCRA's electric generation capacity, but LCRA now releases water solely to generate electricity only when directed to do so by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Hydroelectric generation is a small portion of the power LCRA produces today, but it remains an important part of the Texas power grid.
LCRA is in the midst of a multi-year rehabilitation program to increase the useful life, generating capacity and production efficiency of the dams.
Buchanan Dam and Lake Buchanan
Year completed: 1938
Primary purpose: Water supply, hydroelectric power
Location: Burnet and Llano counties
Owner: LCRA
Buchanan Dam and Lake Buchanan were the first completed in the Highland Lakes chain. They are named for U.S. Rep. J.P. Buchanan, who helped secure federal funds to complete the project after the original builder declared bankruptcy.
Read a
fact sheet about the management of Lake Buchanan and the $50 million upgrade project underway at the dam.
Read more about Buchanan Dam and Lake Buchanan
Buchanan Dam
145.5 feet high, 10,988 feet long
1,025.5 feet above mean sea level (feet msl)
Overflow spillway elevation
- 348,000 cubic feet per second (cfs):
- 7 large floodgates at 18,800 cfs each
- 30 small floodgates at 7,030 cfs each
- 2 turbines at 2,090 cfs each
- 1 turbine at 1,760 cfs
Lake Buchanan
Water supply storage capacity
1,021.4 feet msl on Dec. 20, 1991
983.7 feet msl on Sept. 9, 1952
May through October: at or below 1,018 feet msl
November through April: at or below 1,020 feet msl
100-year flood level at dam
30.65 miles long, 4.92 miles at widest point
Lowest Lake Buchanan Elevations
1 |
1947-57 |
Sept. 9, 1952 |
983.70 |
2 |
2008-16 |
Sept. 20, 2013 |
985.27 |
3 |
1963-64 |
Sept. 20, 1964 |
986.63 |
4 |
1983-84 |
Oct. 7, 1984 |
987.97 |
5 |
1999-2000 |
Oct. 15, 2000 |
994.73 |
6 |
2005-06 |
Jan. 1, 2007 |
997.97 |
*Based on daily readings at 8 a.m.
Inks Dam and Inks Lake
Year completed: 1938
Primary purpose: Hydroelectric power
Location: Llano and Burnet counties
Owner: LCRA
Inks Dam has no floodgates, and the power plant is the smallest in the Highland Lakes chain. Inks Dam works in tandem with Buchanan Dam. A small amount of water can be released through hydroelectric generation, but the bulk of floodwaters pass over an uncontrolled spillway.
The lake and dam are named for Roy B. Inks, one of the original members on the LCRA Board of Directors.
LCRA plans to lower Inks Lake for about eight weeks in early 2020 to give property owners an opportunity to remove debris, dredge and repair boat docks, retaining walls, and other structures.
Read more about Inks Dam and Inks Lake
Inks Dam
96.5 feet high, 1,547.5 feet long
Overflow spillway elevation
- 3,380 cubic feet per second (cfs):
Inks Lake
902.8 feet msl on July 25, 1938
877.1 feet msl on Dec. 6, 1983
100-year flood level at dam
4.2 miles long, 3,000 feet at widest point
Wirtz Dam and Lake LBJ
Year completed: 1951
Primary purpose: Hydroelectric power, cooling reservoir for Thomas C. Ferguson Power Plant
Location: Burnet and Llano counties
Owner: LCRA
Wirtz Dam was built in tandem with Starcke Dam downstream. The dam was named in 1952 for
Alvin J. Wirtz who was instrumental in LCRA's creation and served as its first general counsel. The lake was named in 1965 for another advocate of LCRA, President
Lyndon B. Johnson.
LCRA plans to lower Lake LBJ for about eight weeks in early 2020 to give property owners an opportunity to remove debris, dredge and repair boat docks, retaining walls, and other structures.
Read more about Wirtz Dam and Lake LBJ
Wirtz Dam
118.3 feet high, 5,491.4 feet long
Overflow spillway elevation
- 319,000 cubic feet per second (cfs):
- 10 floodgates at 30,800 cfs each
- 2 turbines at 5,250 cfs each
Lake LBJ
836.2 feet msl on Sept. 11, 1952
793.8 feet msl on Nov. 16, 1970
21.15 miles long and 10,800 feet at widest point
100-year flood level at dam
Starcke Dam and Lake Marble Falls
Year completed: 1951
Primary purpose: Hydroelectric power
Location: Burnet County
Owner: LCRA
Starcke Dam is the smallest in the Highland Lakes chain, and the last one completed. The dam was renamed in 1962 for Max Starcke, LCRA's second general manager, who served from 1940 to 1955.
Read more about Starcke Dam and Lake Marble Falls
Starcke Dam
98.8 feet high, 859.5 feet long
- 101,000 cubic feet per second (cfs):
- 10 floodgates at 9,020 cfs each
- 1 turbine at 5,500 cfs
- 1 turbine at 5,200 cfs
Lake Marble Falls
756.3 feet msl on Sept. 11, 1952
715 feet msl on Oct. 4, 1983
100-year flood level at dam
5.75 miles long and 1,080 feet at widest point
Mansfield Dam and Lake Travis
Year completed: 1942
Primary purpose: Flood management, water supply storage, hydroelectric power
Location: Travis and Burnet counties
Owner: LCRA
LCRA and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation built Mansfield Dam from 1937 to 1942. The dam was built across a deep canyon at Marshall Ford, a long-time river crossing and settlement. After a severe flood in July 1938, LCRA raised the height of the dam to add storage capacity for floodwaters.
Lake Travis is the only lake in the Highland Lakes chain specifically designed to hold back floodwaters. Lake Travis is considered full for water supply purposes at 681 feet msl. At that level, the lake contains 1.1 million acre-feet of water. Lake Travis is designed to hold an additional 787,000 acre-feet of floodwaters in what is referred to as the flood pool.
LCRA is engaged in a multi-year, multi-million dollar renovation project to rehab and restore the dam’s floodgates to their original condition.
Read the floodgate renovation project fact sheet.
Read more about Mansfield Dam and Lake Travis
Mansfield Dam
278 feet high, 7,089 feet long
Overflow spillway elevation
Discharge capacity*
*When at 681 feet msl. Discharge capacities increase as the lake level rises. - More than 131,000 cubic feet per second (cfs):
- 23 floodgates at more than 5,250 cfs each
- 1 variable discharge gate at 2,290 cfs
- 2 turbines at 2,530 cfs each
- 1 turbine at 2,520 cfs
Lake Travis
Water supply storage capacity
710.44 feet msl on Dec. 25, 1991
614.18 feet msl on Aug. 14, 1951
100-year flood level at dam
Top 10 highest levels for Lake Travis
1 |
Dec. 25, 1991
|
710.44
|
2 |
May 18, 1957
|
707.38
|
3 |
June 26, 1997
|
705.11
|
4 |
Feb. 8, 1992
|
704.83
|
5 |
Oct. 20, 2018 |
704.39
|
6 |
July 6, 2007 |
701.52
|
7 |
Nov. 24, 2004
|
696.70
|
8 |
June 14, 1987
|
693.48
|
9 |
July 7, 2002
|
693.47
|
Lowest Lake Travis Elevations
1 |
1947-57 |
Aug. 14, 1951 |
614.18 |
2 |
1963-64 |
Nov. 8, 1963 |
615.02 |
3 |
2008-16 |
Sept. 20, 2013 |
618.56 |
4 |
1983-84 |
Oct. 7, 1984 |
636.58 |
5 |
1999-2000 |
Oct. 15, 2000 |
640.24 |
6 |
2005-06 |
Dec. 13, 2006 |
643.55 |
*Based on daily readings at 8 a.m.
Tom Miller Dam and Lake Austin
Year completed: 1940
Primary purpose: Hydroelectric power, water supply
Location: Travis County
Owner: City of Austin
LCRA built Tom Miller Dam on property leased from the City of Austin. Named for an Austin mayor, the dam was built atop the remains of two earlier structures, both called Austin Dam. The first was built from 1890 to 1893, and the other from 1912 to 1915. Massive floods destroyed the first dam and heavily damaged the second.
LCRA is engaged in a
$9.9 million project to replace the dam’s original floodgates to help ensure it continues to operate reliably and safely for generations to come.
Read more Tom Miller Dam and Lake Austin
Tom Miller Dam
100.5 feet high, 1,590 feet long
Overflow spillway elevation
- 108,000 cubic feet per second (cfs):
- 4 large floodgates at 15,300 cfs each
- 5 small floodgates at 8,580 cfs each
- 1 turbine at 1,970 cfs
- 1 turbine at 1,750 cfs
Lake Austin
495.2 feet msl on May 25, 1981
474.3 feet msl on Feb. 17, 1963
100-year flood level at dam
20.25 miles long, 1,300 feet at widest point