Lake Whitney (Texas)

Lake Whitney

Location	Texas
Coordinates	31°54′08″N, 97°22′09″W
Lake type	reservoir
Primary inflows	Brazos River, Nolan River
Primary outflows	Brazos River
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	37 sq mi (96 km²)
Surface elevation	449 ft (137 m)

Lake Whitney is the only flood control reservoir on the main stem of the Brazos River in the state of Texas. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. A lake (from Latin lacus) is a Terrain feature (or Physical feature) a body of Liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the A reservoir is most broadly a place or hollow vessel where Fluid is kept in Reserve, for later use In Hydrology, the inflow of a Body of water is the source of the Water in the body of water The Brazos River, called the Rio de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers (translated as "The River of the Arms of God" is the 11th longest river in the In Hydrology, the discharge or outflow of a River is the volume of Water transported by it in a certain amount of time The Brazos River, called the Rio de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers (translated as "The River of the Arms of God" is the 11th longest river in the A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, A reservoir is most broadly a place or hollow vessel where Fluid is kept in Reserve, for later use The Brazos River, called the Rio de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers (translated as "The River of the Arms of God" is the 11th longest river in the It is located on River Mile Marker 442 and controls drainage for 17,656 square miles of Texas and parts of New Mexico. A River mile is a measure of distance in Miles along a River from its mouth. A noted lake for many different types of fishing, it is located 80 miles south of Fort Worth and 29 miles north of Waco. Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas and the seventeenth-largest city in the United States. Waco (ˈweɪkoʊ is a city in and the County seat of McLennan County, Texas. The man made reservoir encompasses 37 square miles and 225 miles of shoreline that varies from 100 ft tall white bluffs to low lying sandy beaches.

History

The Whitney Damn was authorized by the county in 1944 to improve flood control and as a way to create power generation for the surrounding areas. The reservoir project began in earnest in 1946. The dam was opened in 1951 while construction of the power plant was completed afterwards and began operation in 1953. Today the Army Corps of Engineers maintains the dam and the surrounding parks, such as Soldiers Bluff, Lofers Bend, McCown Valley and Kimball Bend Parks.

The lake has many choices of accommodations for visitors, ranging from quaint "Mom & Pop" resorts to B&B's. Many offer boat rentals, fine dining, and year-round recreation. The Texas Legislature named Lake Whitney as the Official Getaway Capital of the state in 2005.

Recreation

The lake is well recognized by local residents as a popular recreational destination (due to its proximity to both Waco and the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex) and is home to numerous parks and marinas. The Dallas – Fort Worth – Arlington metropolitan area, a title designated by the U Due to the wide and open area of the lake, water skiers are prevalent in the widest parts of the lakes nearest the dam. Bass fishing, just one of the many types of fishing that can be done at the lake, nearest its Brazos waters, has produced many trophy fish and holds two state records.

References

The Handbook of Texas (ISBN 0-87611-151-7 is a comprehensive Encyclopedia of Texas geography history and historical persons published by the Texas

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