Colorado River (Texas) - River Modifications

River Modifications

The river is an important source of water for farming, cities, and electrical power production. Major man-made reservoirs on the river include Lake Buchanan, Inks Lake, Lake LBJ, Lake Marble Falls, Lake Travis, Lake Austin, and Lady Bird Lake in Austin. Collectively, these lakes are known as the Highland Lakes. In addition to power plants operating on each of the major lakes, waters of the Colorado are used for cooling the South Texas Nuclear Project, near Bay City. The Colorado River Municipal Water District owns and operates three reservoirs upstream of the Highland Lakes, Lake J. B. Thomas near Snyder, E.V. Spence Reservoir near Robert Lee, and O. H. Ivie Reservoir near Ballinger.

Flood control and use of the Colorado River is managed by two agencies established by the Texas Legislature, the Upper Colorado River Authority, and the Lower Colorado River Authority. There are 11 major reservoirs along the Colorado River.

The Colorado River also has made many geographic landmarks such as Deep Eddy Pool in Austin, Texas.

• Colorado River 5 miles (8 km) from its source along the Caprock Escarpment, border of Dawson and Borden County, Texas.

• Colorado River under the Regency Suspension Bridge on the border of Mills and San Saba counties.

• Scenic view of Colorado River meandering under a bridge overpass under Texas State Highway 60 in Wharton.

• Pennybacker Bridge crossing the Lake Austin portion of the Colorado River.

• Scene on the Colorado River, Austin, Texas (postcard, circa 1907)