Austin Recreation: Lake Travis

The Austin area is home to a number of lakes, streams, and creeks that are ideal for an afternoon in the sun or a hiking adventure. Lake Travis is the largest of the lakes in the area. It is a reservoir on the Colorado River in Central Texas.

Lake Travis was formed in 1942 when construction of the Mansfield Dam on the western edge of Austin was completed by the Lower Colorado River Authority. The Lake has the largest storage capacity of the seven Highland Lakes. It stretches approximately 65 miles upriver from western Travis County, home to Austin, in a highly serpentine course into southern Burnet County to the Max Starcke Dam. The Max Starcke Dam is southwest of the town of Marble Falls.

In addition to the Colorado River, the Pedernales River also feeds the lake. This river flows into Lake Travis from the southwest in western Travis County. The lake itself is used for flood control, water supply, electrical power generation, and recreation. Without this lake and the other Highland Lakes, parts of Central and West Texas would not have power.

The Highland Lakes, or other reservoirs on the Colorado River, include:

• Lake Buchanan
• Inks Lake
• Lake LBJ
• Lake Marble Falls
• Lake Austin
• Lady Bird Lake

Lake Austin is located closer to the City of Austin and Lady Bird Lake, formerly Town Lake, is located in Austin.

Because of its volume, Lake Travis serves as the primary flood control reservoir of the Highland Lake chain. The level of the lake varies dramatically depending on the amount of rain that falls into the Colorado River basin upstream of the lake. Despite the varying water level, the lake is one of the most popular destinations in the region for outdoor recreation.

Contact an Austin Realtor

For more information on recreation options in the Austin area, contact the Austin realtors of The Carvajal Group at 512-419-7770.