Lake Size: 18,930 Acres Shoreline Length (Miles): 270 Miles (434 km) Deepest Depth: 210 ft (64 m) Latitude: 30.44 Longitude: -98.02 Lake Level Above Sea Level: 681 ft (208 m) Counties: Travis County Cities: Austin Lake Management: Lower Colorado River Authority
Information: 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 Travis has the largest storage capacity of the seven reservoirs known as the Highland Lakes, and stretches 65 miles (105 km) upriver from western Travis County in a highly serpentine course into southern Burnet County to Max Starcke Dam, southwest of the town of Marble Falls. The Pedernales River, a major tributary of the Colorado River, flows into the lake from the southwest in western Travis County. The lake is used for flood control, water supply, electrical power generation and recreation.
Lake Travis has been stocked with several species of fish intended to improve the utility of the reservoir for recreational fishing. Fish present in Lake Travis include largemouth bass, guadalupe bass, white bass, striped bass, catfish and sunfish.
In spring 2008 there were several reports of leeches residing in Lake Travis. The leeches are generally harmless to humans but can be a nuisance.
Because of its volume, the lake serves as the primary flood control reservoir of the Highland Lake chain. The level of the lake can therefore vary dramatically, depending on the amount of rainfall in the Colorado River basin upstream. Despite this, the lake furnishes one of the most desired locations in the region for outdoor recreation, including fishing, boating, swimming, scuba diving, picnicking and camping. Among the parks along the lake is the Travis County park Hippie Hollow, the only clothing-optional public park in Texas. Lake Travis is generally considered one of the clearest lakes in Texas. In the summer of 2009, the AP reported drought conditions for much of Central Texas including Lake Travis and the Colorado River. It was estimated that each week in August 2009 that the water level decreased by one foot. Further estimates place the current lake capacity at only 40% full. Lake Travis is a vital water supply for the nearby city of Austin, Texas and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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