Recreational uses
In addition to maintaining the dam that creates the reservoir, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains recreational facilities at the lake. Cedar Breaks Park, Russell Park, Jim Hogg Park and Overlook Park include day-use areas for picnics. Cedar Breaks, Jim Hogg and Russell Parks have boat ramp facilities for recreational boating. No camping is permitted at Overlook Park (the only free entry park on the lake).
The Goodwater Trail is a 26-mile-long (42 km) hiking trail that follows the entire perimeter of the lake with trailheads at Cedar Breaks, Overlook, Jim Hogg, and Russell Park. Tejas Camp, while technically on the San Gabriel River and not on the lake, also has trail access and is the only other entry or exit point to the southern half of the trail than Cedar Breaks. Mountain biking is allowed on the entire length of the loop thanks to the Austin Ridge Riders group for their work on the southern half of the trail. Beginner riders would be wise to stay on the North shore as it permits shorter trips with water refilling available and multiple exits. The southern shore presents a much more challenging ride with its rocky terrain and steep drop-offs and is not recommended for beginners. Also, there are no water refilling stations or trail exits on the approximately 12 miles between Cedar Breaks and Camp Tejas.
Overnight primitive camping is allowed at Sawyer Park, roughly halfway between Cedar Breaks and Tejas.
Lake Houston is a reservoir on the San Jacinto River, 15 miles (24 km) northeast of downtown Houston, Texas, United States. The reservoir is the primary municipal water supply for the city of Houston.
Somerville Lake is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on Yegua Creek in the Brazos River basin, 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Brenham, Texas, United States. The town of Somerville in Burleson County is adjacent to the reservoir. The lake extends into portions of Burleson County, Washington County, and Lee County. The dam lies in Washington County. The dam and lake are managed by the Fort Worth District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The reservoir was officially impounded in 1967, and serves to provide flood control and water for irrigation for the communities downstream. Somerville Lake is a popular recreational destination.
Curecanti National Recreation Area is a National Park Service unit located on the Gunnison River in western Colorado. Established in 1965, Curecanti National Recreation Area is responsible for developing and managing recreational facilities on three reservoirs, Blue Mesa Reservoir, Morrow Point Reservoir and Crystal Reservoir, constructed on the upper Gunnison River in the 1960s by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to better utilize the vital waters of the Colorado River and its major tributaries. A popular destination for boating and fishing, Curecanti offers visitors two marinas, traditional and group campgrounds, hiking trails, boat launches, and boat-in campsites. The state's premiere lake trout and Kokanee salmon fisheries, Curecanti is a popular destination for boating and fishing, and is also a popular area for ice-fishing in the winter months.
The Dale Hollow Reservoir is a reservoir situated on the Kentucky/Tennessee border. The lake is formed by the damming of the Obey River, 7.3 miles (11.7 km) above its juncture with the Cumberland River at river mile 380. Portions of the lake also cover the Wolf River. Dale Hollow is one of four major flood control reservoirs for the Cumberland; the others being Percy Priest Lake, Lake Cumberland, and Center Hill Lake. It is also the site of Dale Hollow Lake State Park on the north (Kentucky) side.
The San Gabriel River is a river that flows through central Texas, USA. The San Gabriel River is formed in Georgetown by the confluence of the North Fork San Gabriel and the South Fork San Gabriel, both of which originate in Burnet County. There are two major impoundments of the river: Lake Georgetown along the North Fork, and Granger Lake, about 25 miles (40 km) below the confluence. Both are U.S. Army Corps of Engineers impoundments. The San Gabriel River joins the Little River five miles south of Cameron which then meets the Brazos River northwest of College Station. There is a city park in Georgetown at the confluence of the North and South Forks, with a well-known local swimming spot located just upriver from the confluence on the South Fork.
Lake Whitney is a flood control reservoir on the main stem of the Brazos River in Texas. It is located on River Mile Marker 442 and controls drainage for 17,656 square miles (45,730 km2) of Texas and parts of New Mexico. The reservoir encompasses a surface area of more than 23,500 acres and 225 miles (362 km) of shoreline. The area consists of rolling, tallgrass prairies; cedar trees; hardwood timber; and 100 ft (30 m) bluffs and rock points. Lake Whitney is also part of the Texas Lakes Trail Region of North Texas.
Lewis and Clark Lake is a 31,400 acre (130 km²) reservoir located on the border of the U.S. states of Nebraska and South Dakota on the Missouri River. The lake is approximately 25 miles (40 km) in length with over 90 miles (140 km) of shoreline and a maximum water depth of 45 feet (14 m). The lake is impounded by Gavins Point Dam and is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District.
The Little River is a river in Central Texas in the Brazos River watershed. It is formed by the confluence of the Leon River and the Lampasas River near Little River, Texas in Bell County. It flows generally southeast for 75 miles (121 km) until it empties into the Brazos River about 5 miles (8.0 km) southwest of Hearne, at a site called Port Sullivan in Milam County. The Little River has a third tributary, the San Gabriel River, which joins the Little about 8 miles (13 km) north of Rockdale and five miles southwest of Cameron. Cameron, the county seat of Milam County and the only city of any significant size on the Little River, was established in 1846.
Canyon Lake is a reservoir on the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country in the United States. Canyon Lake is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir formed on the Guadalupe River in Comal County by Canyon Dam, which is located about sixteen miles northwest of New Braunfels. The dam, lake, and all adjacent property are managed by the U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers. Water rights, waste water treatment, and hydroelectric generating facilities are managed by the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority. Construction of the dam began in 1958 and was completed in 1964. The reservoir serves to provide flood control and water supply for the communities downstream from the dam. The lake is also a popular recreational destination.
Calaveras Lake is a reservoir on Calaveras Creek, located 20 miles southeast of Downtown San Antonio, Texas, USA. The reservoir was formed in 1969 by the construction of a dam to provide a cooling pond for a series of power plants, called the Calaveras Power Station, to supply additional electricity to the city of San Antonio.
Victor Braunig Lake, formerly known as East Lake, is a reservoir on Calaveras Creek and Chupaderas Creek 17 miles south of Downtown San Antonio, Texas, USA. The reservoir was formed in 1962 by the construction of a dam to provide a cooling pond for a power plant to supply additional electrical supply to the city of San Antonio. Victor Braunig (1890-1982) was an employee from 1910 becoming in 1949 the general manager of the San Antonio City Public Service Board, the predecessor of CPS Energy. The dam and lake are managed by CPS Energy of San Antonio. Together with Calaveras Lake, Braunig Lake was one of the first projects in the nation to use treated wastewater for power plant cooling. The reservoir is partly filled with wastewater that has undergone both primary and secondary treatment at a San Antonio Water System treatment plant. Braunig Lake also serves as a venue for recreation, including fishing and boating.
Lake Casa Blanca is a reservoir on the Chacon Creek, 5 miles (8 km) northeast of downtown Laredo, Texas, United States. The reservoir was formed in 1951 by the construction of a dam to provide recreational opportunities for the residents of Webb County. The current dam is the second built across the creek - a previous dam built in 1946 failed the following year during the initial attempted impounding of a reservoir. There are residential properties along the lake as well as a Texas state park. Surrounding the lake is a 525-acre (212 ha) park that was operated jointly by the City of Laredo and Webb County before it was leased by the state in 1990 and opened in March 1991 as the Lake Casa Blanca International State Park. Lake Casa Blanca is fed by the Chacon Creek and San Ygnacio Creek.
Lake Corpus Christi is a reservoir in coastal southern Texas. The lake was created by impoundment of the Nueces River by the Wesley E. Seale Dam opened in 1958. The lake and the dam that creates it are managed by the City of Corpus Christi. Lake Corpus Christi was originally known as Lake Lovenskiold. It is often referred to as Lake Mathis because of its location.
Fayette County Reservoir is a power station cooling reservoir on Cedar Creek in the Colorado River basin, 3 miles west of Fayetteville, Texas and 10 miles east of La Grange, Texas. The reservoir was created in 1978 when a dam was built on the creek to provide a cooling pond for the Fayette Power Project which provides electrical generation to Fayette County and surrounding areas. The dam, lake, and power plant are managed by the Lower Colorado River Authority. The lake is also used for recreational purposes, especially fishing.
Belton Lake is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Leon River in the Brazos River basin, 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Belton, Texas, United States. The lake extends into both Bell County and Coryell County. Belton Dam and the lake are both managed by the Fort Worth District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The reservoir was officially impounded in 1954, and serves to provide flood control and drinking water for Belton, Temple, and the surrounding communities. Belton Lake is a popular recreational destination. In the fall of 2018 Lake Belton was host to the annual “Lonestar Throwdown” kayak fishing tournament. Teams from the North, South, Central, and West Texas regions battled it out for bragging rights and ultimately North Texas took home the coveted trophy.
Proctor Lake is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir along the Leon River located in Comanche County in the U.S. state of Texas, around 3 miles (5 km) west of Proctor, Texas. Proctor Lake Dam and the reservoir are managed by the Fort Worth District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The reservoir was officially impounded in 1963, and serves to provide flood control and drinking water for the communities downstream. Proctor Lake is a popular recreational destination.
Lake Red Rock, also referred to as Red Rock Reservoir is a reservoir formed by Red Rock Dam on the Des Moines River, about 41 miles (66 km) southeast of the city of Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. The dam was completed in 1969 as a Flood control project by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, creating the largest lake in Iowa. The lake is essentially confined to Marion County. The damface is a few miles west and south of Pella, and similarly, a few miles northeast of Knoxville.
Grapevine Lake is a reservoir located in the North Texas region, about 20 mi (32 km) northwest of Dallas and northeast of Fort Worth. It was impounded in 1952 by the US Army Corps of Engineers when they dammed Denton Creek, a tributary of Trinity River.
Big Ridge State Park is a state park in Union County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The park consists of 3,687 acres (14.92 km2) on the southern shore of the Norris Reservoir, an impoundment of the Clinch River created by the completion of Norris Dam in 1936. Much of the park's recreational focus is on Big Ridge Lake, a 45-acre (0.18 km2) sub-impoundment of Norris near the center of the park.
