“In 1937 while running as a candidate for the surrounding Congressional district, Lyndon Baines Johnson promised voters that he would create a “Tennessee Valley Authority” type of transformation for the Colorado River, including dams for flood control and electricity, bridges and highways, and recreational facilities along the river. Johnson’s victory soon brought into being the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) and with it the benefits of rural electrification for residents of the Texas Hill Country. “ – Texas Parks & Wildlife Inks Lake (http://texascccparks.org/parks/inks-lake/)
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The Colorado River had a history of major flooding, especially in the City of Austin – even washing out two versions of the ‘Town Lake’ dam. To “tame” this unpredictable river, six dams were constructed in the Texas Hill Country, coordinating into an integrated system of water management (for both flood and drought conditions) and hydroelectric power.
Engineers employed the local topography to form the lakes' basins and optimize placement of the dams themselves. Inks and Buchanan’s timing provided employment to over 1,500 through the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression (http://www.thehighlandlakes.org/default.aspx?name=ws.inks_lake). Inexpensive Power, water management (flood, drought, and municipal supply), and recreation proved a boon to local economies; and specific and overall engineering of the system earned the Highland Chain of Lakes Historic Civil Engineering Landmark of Texas status in 2000.
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After a series of catastrophic floods on the Colorado River through Austin (enough to take out the city’s dam), the river flow needed, much as possible, to be controlled. In 1931 the first stage of that process was begun: construction of the then dubbed “Hamilton Dam” by a company controlled by Samuel Insull. Unfortunately, Insull’s highly leveraged public utility holding company collapsed during the Great Depression, with the dam less than half completed. In 1934, the Texas legislature authorized the formation of the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) to complete the Hamilton Dam. Work wrapped up in 1938, and the dam was renamed for U.S. Representative James P. Buchanan, a strong advocate of the overall Highland Lakes scheme and key in securing funding through the Public Works Administration.
Rep Buchanan was succeeded by Lyndon Johnson, who realized the potential LCRA and its dams offered the region. He persuaded LCRA to use the dams’ hydroelectric power to benefit Central Texas communities and rural areas (the sale of which helped finance completion of the Lakes system and other LCRA projects). LCRA manpower strung the lines that brought electricity to customers of the region's first two electric cooperatives: Pedernales and what is today Bluebonnet.
A massive flood in 1938 forced LCRA to open 22 of Buchanan Dam's 37 floodgates – a record for that dam – devastating areas downstream. Critics charged LCRA and Buchanan Dam had made the flood worse; LCRA countered that since Buchanan Dam was just the first in the series of four planned flood control dams, flood prevention would not be possible until all were finished. A subsequent Texas Senate investigation not only exonerated LCRA but also determined that Mansfield Dam should be increased an additional 80 feet to its current height of 278 feet to provide more protection to Austin and downstream communities.
By 1939 LCRA had acquired a service area surrounding Austin from private utilities and began a campaign to convince communities to purchase their local distribution systems and buy power from LCRA. Almost all communities did — and saw retail electric bills drop almost by half from what private utilities had charged. LCRA also sponsored "electric fairs" with local merchants to introduce residents to the benefits of electric appliances.
Moving right along: before Buchanan Dam was completed, LCRA began work three miles downstream on the smaller Inks Lake dam so the two could work in tandem.
This lake and dam are named for Roy B. Inks, one of the original directors on the LCRA Board. Construction, begun in 1936, concluded in 1938, and its power plant is the smallest in the Highland Lakes chain. Inks Lake is designated as a constant-level reservoir because the normal turbine discharge is coordinated with the inflow from Lake Buchanan, so NORMAL fluctuation is small. The dam, interestingly, has no floodgates. A small amount of water can be released through hydroelectric generation, but the bulk of any floodwaters pass over an uncontrolled spillway.
The waymark’s coordinates put you at the Inks Lake Park Boat Ramp (a nominal fee is charged for Park Use), with the best upstream view. The only downstream view from the east side is a neck craner from N30 43.665 W098 22.948 (where I took the photo). But any visit to the lake serves the intent of this waymark, as it is the lake itself that is the target. Excellent eastern lakeshore views and access, as well as glimpses of the dam are afforded by the length of Park Road 4.
For a better downstream view of the dam face, approach from the WEST side of the Colorado (after crossing on 29) and meander (it may not be worth your while) to N 30 43.810 W 98 23.246, just outside the Shady Oaks RV Park 350 Inks Dam Rd Buchanan Dam, TX 78609.
It’s also worth taking a satellite-eye look with Google Earth.
In total, the Highland Lakes Chain is comprised of (in up- to downstream order):
Buchanan Dam/Lake –finished in 1937/38 …built in tandem with
Inks Dam/Lake –finished in ‘38
Wirtz Dam (nee Granite Shoals) — Lake LBJ; 1949 to 1951 …built in tandem with
Starcke Dam – Lake Marble Falls (1949/51)
Mansfield Dam — Lake Travis; finished 1941
Tom Miller Dam – Lake Austin; 1938 to 1940
MYTH VS. REALITY - LCRA dams form the Highland Lakes (
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Myth:
The Highland Lakes dams will protect downstream homes and businesses from flooding.
Reality:
Mansfield Dam, which forms Lake Travis, is the only dam that was built to hold back floodwaters. The other dams help manage the flow of floodwaters as they travel through the chain of lakes. A severe flood can exceed even Lake Travis' storage capacity and cause flooding downstream.
Just the FAQs (courtesy LCRA (
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INKS DAM
Location: Llano County, 409 river miles from the Gulf of Mexico
When built: 1936 to 1938
Dam dimensions: 96.5 feet high, 1,547.5 feet long
Primary purpose: Hydroelectric power
Generating capacity: 13.8 megawatts
Spillway elevation: 888.3 feet above msl
Top of dam: 922 feet above msl
Floodgates: None
Discharge capacity: 3,400 cubic feet per second (cfs):
DETAILS ON INKS LAKE
Lake area: 777 acres
Elevation when full: 888 feet above mean sea level (msl)
Volume when full: 13,668 acre-feet
Historic high: 902.8 feet above msl on July 25, 1938
Historic low: 877.1 feet above msl on Dec. 6, 1983
Target operating range: 886.9 feet to 887.7 feet above msl
100-year flood level at dam: 901.7 feet above msl
Dimensions: 4.2 miles long, 3,000 feet at widest point
For more background, see:
Texas Parks & Wildlife Inks Lake (
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LCRA's Historic Moment: History of the Highland Lakes (
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The history of LCRA Early years and first critical test (
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LCRA as discussed by Wikipedia (
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LCRA dams form the Highland Lakes
Structures designed for flood management, water supply, hydroelectricity (
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Inks Dam and Inks Lake; Small dam creates 777-acre lake, has no floodgates (
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Inks Lake State Park (
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Texas State Historical Association The Handbook of Texas Online:
Lower Colorado River Authority (
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Inks Lake (
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