Highland Lakes Part One: Lake Austin
On the chain of six lakes that officially make up the Highland Lakes, Lake Austin is the closest to downtown, sitting just northwest of the heart of the city. Created in 1939 by the LCRA (Lower Colorado River Authority) with the construction of the Tom Miller Dam, Lake Austin falls between the Mansfield Dam and the Tom Miller Dam. It provides flood control of the river, hydroelectric power, and recreation.
A great site for water sports, you can take one of the boat tours available, or bring your own. High cliffs provide shelter from the wind and make boating favorable, while also providing great sites for beautiful homes. It is also a spot for recreational fishing, stocked with largemouth bass, catfish and sunfish.
Mount Bonnell, the highest point in Austin, is a natural limestone feature, and has been a popular picnicking spot since the mid 1800s. From the brief hike to the top you can see over Lake Austin, the 360 Bridge (or Pennybacker Bridge), and to the downtown skyline.
Pictured: Private cove of Lake Austin from 1611 Westlake Drive
Tags: Boating, boats, Fishing, highland lakes, Lake Austin, LCRA, mount bonnell, Tom Miller Dam, water recreation
This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 13th, 2010 at 1:44 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
