“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/)
In tandem, the ambitious Highland Lakes system controls water supply – both flood AND drought control as well as municipal water, generates power, and provides recreational opportunities to the citizens of Texas. Location of the lakes employed local topography – both for optimized dam construction and water storage. Many of the projects also provided much needed employment during the Great Depression. Inexpensive Power, water control, 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.
-----
After a series of catastrophic floods on the Colorado River through Austin (enough to take out the city’s dam), the river needed to be brought under control. 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. Following its completion in 1937, the dam was renamed for U.S. Representative James P. Buchanan, a strong advocate of the overall plan and key in getting funding through the Public Works Administration.
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.
The first and largest of the Highland Lakes, Lake Buchanan also boasts an architectural rarity. Stretching for more than two miles, Buchanan Dam is considered the longest multiple-arch dam in the nation (and a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark of Texas in its own right). The multiple arch design is no longer used because the amount of labor required makes construction too expensive. The irony of construction economics: Today's dams require far less labor, but a thousand times more materials.
The waymark’s coordinates put you at the Lake Buchanan Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center (N30 44.870 W098 24.389) which affords an excellent view of the downstream side. Close upstream views are had from the OLD visitor center (note, not even the restrooms are public any more) at N30 44.659 W098 25.034; and an excellent panoramic view can be had from N30 45.733 W098 27.426 next to Black Rock Park (or pay admission and go into the park); but any visit to the lake serves the intent of this waymark, as it is the lake itself that is the target. There are many ways to enjoy this engineering marvel: from simple drive-by sightseeing to lakeside parks, from water sports to The Vanishing Texas River Cruise up the Canyon of the Eagles (see the Official Lake Buchanan Visitors’ Guide (
visit link)
It is also worth taking a satellite view of the dam through Google Earth or the like – just to get the SCALE of the thing.
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” (
visit link)
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' flood storage capacity and cause flooding downstream.
For more background, see:
LCRA's Historic Moment: History of the Highland Lakes (
visit link)
The history of LCRA Early years and first critical test (
visit link)
LCRA as discussed by Wikipedia (
visit link)
LCRA dams form the Highland Lakes
Structures designed for flood management, water supply, hydroelectricity (
visit link)
Buchanan Dam (
visit link)
Texas State Historical Association The Handbook of Texas Online:
Lower Colorado River Authority (
visit link)
Lake Buchanan (
visit link)