6 Things You May Not Know About The Highland Lakes’ History

Photo courtesy of Encyclopaedia Britannica.

What do Buchanan, LBJ, and Lady Bird all have in common? Besides being presidential figures, they’re also all names of beloved lakes on Texas’s Colorado River. Lake BuchananInks LakeLake LBJLake Marble FallsLake Travis, and Lake Austin make up the Highland Lakes, the largest chain of lakes in all of Texas. (Lady Bird Lake is technically not a Highland Lake since it’s controlled by the City of Austin rather than the Lower Colorado River Authority, but it’s still an honorary member). These human-made lakes are about more than recreation. Over 1 million Texans in the surrounding communities rely on the Highland Lakes for their farming and businesses. Although these lakes are essential and cherished among Austin residents, do you know about the history of the Highland Lakes?

Austin’s First Dam Was a Big Failure

Austin Dam Memorial Park
Photo courtesy of Tripadvisor.com.

In Texas, only one natural lake exists — Lake Caddo. As such, all the Highland Lakes are human-made, designed to provide hydroelectricity and prevent flooding. However, the state’s first attempt to create a dam didn’t work out. In the 1890s, mayor John McDonald built a dam on Lake Austin (then named it Lake McDonald, after himself) to promote Austin as an industrial city. However, in 1900, the dam collapsed in massive storms, and Lake McDonald evaporated. This event is known as the Great Granite Dam Failure. It wasn’t until Roosevelt’s New Deal in 1940 that things got better. In 1942, the Mansfield Dam was constructed, giving rise to Lake Travis. In 1960, the Longhorn Dam was built, and Lady Bird Lake came into existence. But you can still visit the Austin Dam Memorial today.

Marble Falls’ Waterfalls Are Submerged

Photo courtesy of 101HighlandLakes.com.

Visitors to this region may wonder — why is it called Marble Falls if there are no falls? There are! They’re just hidden beneath the water’s surface. However, in the 1800s, water levels were lower, and the falls were visible. Settlers fell in love with them, referring to them as “marble falls,” mistaking the limestone construction for marble. In 1854, Adam “Stovepipe” Johnson was so mesmerized by the falls that he launched a town around them. But in the 1950s when the Colorado River Authority dams were built, the falls became submerged. Although you can’t see the falls today (unless the lake’s depth is lowered by 7 feet), there’s plenty to do in town. For instance, Marble Lake is known for its nearby vineyard where you can book wine tours

There are Islands on Lake Travis… Sometimes

Photo courtesy of kut.org.

Depending on the rainfall, you could visit several small islands on Highland Lakes. These landmasses appear on Lake Travis— well, sometimes. Aptly called the Sometimes Islands, this irregular topography beneath the lake’s surface becomes elevated when water levels are low. During a 2011 drought, so much of the Sometimes Islands were exposed that it created a peninsula. In 2014, an entire field of bluebonnets grew on a nearby piece of exposed land. Although these islands may not be the most idyllic beaches, they’re certainly an intriguing feature of this particular Highland Lake. 

A Woman Became Mayor Before Women Could Vote

Ophelia “Birdie” Harwood
Photo courtesy of kut.org.

In Marble Falls, Ophelia “Birdie” Harwood became mayor in 1917, just three years before the 19th amendment granted women the right to vote. During her short two year term, she made an impact on the town. One of her achievements was creating comprehensive traffic laws in an area without stop signs and traffic signals. She was also known for her belief in a transparent government. By publishing the city’s budget twice a year, she practiced what she preached. As an equestrian, the townspeople could see Mayor Harwood often riding her horse through town. But her career didn’t end at Marble Falls. In 1936, she became the first female municipal court judge.

Old Rules Still Apply at Lady Bird Lake

Photo courtesy of kut.org.

When you think of lake activities, swimming likely comes to mind. However, this isn’t true for Lady Bird Lake (also known as Town Lake, if you’re a local). Since four years after its creation in 1960, swimming in Lady Bird Lake has been illegal. Unfortunately, there are tragic beginnings of this law when Inez and Cynthia Rendon were swept away by the water’s currents. In addition to this heavily enforced law, it’s illegal to have motor vessels on Lady Bird Lake. Despite the downsides of these restrictions, these laws make the lake excellent for paddle boatingkayaking, and canoeing

A Lost Civilization is Buried Under Lake Buchanan

Photo courtesy of TexasObserver.org.

Before the Buchanan Dam was built in 1939, a small town of Bluffton thrived. Corn farming, pecan trees, a school, a cotton gin, and a community center served the town’s 50 families. But when dam construction began, residents of Bluffton had to sell their land to the Colorado River Authority and move to higher ground. While residents built New Bluffton 7 miles away, remnants of Old Bluffton sank beneath Lake Buchanan. However, when Texas droughts hit in the late 2000s, the town’s remains resurfaced. The Texas Historical Commission excavated the land and found tombstones, homes, and remains of a hotel. Today, you can discover these findings on a history cruise

Click here to learn more about the Highland Lakes region: Lake BuchananInks LakeLake LBJLake Marble FallsLake Travis, and Lake Austin.

Enjoy trivia? Be sure to join our newsletter for weekly article updates! SIGN UP

Lake LBJ Agent Recognized as National Agent of the Year 2018

Bruce Jones has been named the 2018 Agent of the Year and Splash Award honoree at Lake Homes Realty’s sixth annual Agent Summit, held October 16-19, 2018 in Hoover, Alabama.

“It’s such an honor to be recognized by our company,” Jones said. “I am especially proud to win this year’s Splash Award because it honors my relationship with the community and the caliber of service I deliver, not just how many properties I sold.”

Lake Homes Realty CEO Glenn S. Phillips and COO Doris Phillips with Bruce Jones

Recognized as the company’s best overall performing agent for the year, Jones also received a “Premier Agent” designation.

Splash Award Criteria

To determine the 2018 Agent of the Year and Splash Award recipient, Lake Homes Realty agents were ranked, relative to each other, for performance in six key areas over a 12-month evaluation period.

These key areas included:

  1. Average number of days from close-to-completed office files
  2. Overall effective commission percentage per side
  3. Total sides closed
  4. Total transaction volume closed in dollar amount
  5. Percent increase of year-over-year transaction volume in dollar amount
  6. Number of listings in MLSs on September 1, 2018

To be eligible for Splash Award consideration, agents were required to have been licensed with Lake Homes Realty for at least 24 months by August 31, 2018, and completed 12 transactions or more between September 1, 2017 and August 31, 2018.

“Agents’ transaction volume also had to be $3.5 million or greater in order to be eligible,” Lake Homes Realty CEO Glenn S. Phillips explained. “This value is based on a property’s sale price, independent from the number of sides represented. Transaction volume also excludes referral transactions.”

Award Scoring

Those agents with the best performance in each of the above areas received a single point, with the next best receiving two points, the third best three points and so forth.

Each area’s points were then totaled to determine the agent with the lowest combined score, who was then named the Splash Award winner and Lake Homes Realty Agent of the Year.

Should more than one agent have had the lowest score, the agent with the highest total transaction volume in the 12-month evaluation period would have won the award.

“Our agents are the very best at what they do. They are the special forces of lake real estate, and each year their expertise and talents continue to impress,” Phillips said. “This year’s Summit was the best yet, and it’s because of the work our agents put in all year long.”

Client Advocacy-Driven Success

This year’s Agent of the Year and Splash award winner is no stranger to hard work. Bruce Jones has been selling real estate in Texas’ Austin area since 2005.

“In a industry as competitive as real estate, being willing to go above and beyond for your clients is what can set an agent apart,” Jones said. “That’s one of the biggest components of my service: being readily available to my buyers and sellers whenever they need me to be.”

Jones continued by adding most of his business revolves around former client referrals and repeat clients. Without the solid relationships he’s built over the last decade, Jones contends he might not have won this year’s Splash Award.

Not only an active member of his community, serving on the local city council, Jones is also a member of the National Association of Realtors, the Texas Association of Realtors and the Houston, Austin and Highland Lakes Association of Realtors.

“Over the next year, I’ll continue to grow my brand as a client-first lake expert by staying up-to-date with the latest industry tech, and by utilizing the tools provided to me through LakeHomes.com,” he said. “But above all else, I will continue providing my clients with the most convenient, effortless and remarkable service I’m able to provide.”

President’s Day Special: Lakes Named for the Nation’s Leaders

Originally observed in honor of George Washington’s February 22 birthday, President’s Day, was first celebrated, following his death, in 1799.

Appropriately dubbed “Washington’s Birthday,” the day was declared a federal holiday in the Washington D.C. area in the late 1970s.

The holiday gained national recognition in 1885, and in 1971 the Uniform Monday Holiday Act renamed the celebration President’s Day.President's Day Drawing

Now observed on the third Monday of February, President’s Day recognizes former presidents Washington, Lincoln, Reagan and William Henry Harrison’s birthdays.

But what about the former leaders of our nation who don’t have a national holiday celebrating them?

For many, there are streets, counties and state capitals named after them; but a select few will continue to give back to Americans for decades to come through the memories made on the bodies of water which bear their names.

Theodore Roosevelt Lake

Formed by Roosevelt Dam, Theodore Roosevelt Lake encompasses 21,493 surface area-acres in Gila County, Arizona.

Legislation to provide irrigation to settlements in the dry western United States prompted the dam’s construction in 1906.

Since it’s completion in 1911, Roosevelt Dam, and the lake it produced, has served as water storage, flood control and produced hydroelectric power to the surrounding areas.

In its original state, the completed structure reached 280 feet tall and 723 feet long; however, after extensive safety repairs made from 1989 to 1996, Roosevelt Dam stands today at 357 feet tall and 1,210 feet long, making it the highest masonry dam in the world.

Theodore Roosevelt Lake, also referred to as Roosevelt Lake and Lake Roosevelt reaches maximum depths of 349 feet and runs along 128 miles of shoreline.

In it’s rich history, Roosevelt Dam has received (and lost) a National Historic Landmarks designation and the lake was, for a time, the world’s largest man-made body of water, containing more than million acre-feet of water.

Today, the reservoir is a popular fishing spot offering anglers populations of carp, sunfish, channel and flathead catfish, and large and smallmouth bass.

Lake Lyndon B. Johnson

Formerly Lake Granite Shoals, Lake LBJ is located near Austin, Texas and serves as a hydroelectric power producer and coolant for the Thomas Ferguson Power Plant.

Construction began on what was once the Granite Shoals Dam in 1949.

It was completed in 1951, and in 1952 the structure was renamed Wirtz Dam after Alvin J. Wirtz, the man largely responsible for creation the LCRA, the organization that runs the power plant the lake now cools.

Thirteen years later, Lake Granite Shoals was renamed Lake Lyndon B. Johnson for the former president’s advocacy of the LCRA.

Lake LBJ welcomes a number of lake activities, including boating, fishing and jet skiing. The lake also hosts an annual 4th of July festival, complete with fireworks, parades and a poker run!

The reservoir covers more than 6,000 acres and reaches 90 feet at its deepest point.

Lady Bird Lake

Though she wasn’t a president, Claudia Alta “Lady Bird” Johnson, is an icon in American history.

Lady Bird Lake, which more closely resembles a river, spans more than 400 acres in downtown Austin, Texas.

Lady Bird Lake with Skyline

The reservoir, formed by Longhorn Dam, was named Town Lake until the former First Lady’s death in 2007, at which time it was renamed for her service on the Town Lake Beautification Committee.

Popular activities enjoyed on Lady Bird Lake include sailing, biking, paddleboarding and canoeing.

Hoover Dam

Lastly, we cannot have a President’s Day Special without at least mentioning Hoover Dam.

Named for the 31st president, Herbert Hoover, Hoover Dam is located near Las Vegas, Nevada and attracts more than seven million visitors from around the world each year.

Ground broke on the massive structure in 1931, and over the course of the next four years, more than 20,000 people worked on the project.

The Dam’s construction cost $49 million by its completion in 1935, an amount that would exceed $800 million today.

Hoover Dam primarily serves as a hydroelectric power producer, generating approximately four billion kilowatts of energy annually and providing power to more than 1.3 million homes across the Southwest.

The Dam is also responsible for the creation of Lake Mead, one of the world’s largest man-made lakes and the largest reservoir in the U.S.

Lake Mead encompasses nearly 250 square miles of surface area and reaches depths of 590 feet, according to one USA Today article.

Each year, more than 10 million visitors flock to Lake Mead to fish, ski, swim and boat along the body of water’s more than 500 miles of shoreline.

You Might Be a Lake LBJ Local When

Lake LBJ colorful during sunset

Lake Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) is a 6,200-acre, constant-level reservoir located on the Colorado River in the famous Texas Hill Country.

Originally named Lake Granite Shoals, Lake LBJ is just an hour’s drive from Austin, Texas, and is the perfect combination of rural, relaxed lake living and big-city accessibility.

Whether you grew up visiting the lake during the summers, or grew up on the water, you’ll recognize Lake LBJ by these amazing qualities:

At Lake LBJ, Wildlife Lives Next Door 

Father and son fishing at Lake LBJ

In the Texas Hill Country, wildlife is abundant.

Fishing, of course, is one of the more popular past times during the spring and summer months. Amateur and skilled anglers from all over the country flock to Lake LBJ for a chance at record-breaking bass and crappie.

Along with its impressive variety of fish species, the area surrounding the lake is populated by a myriad of wildlife including foxes, coyotes, rabbits, and deer.

Because the areas surrounding the lake are made up of incorporated subdivisions, hunting is strictly prohibited, so a wide variety of beautiful wild animals will be among your neighbors.

Celebrity Sightings Are Routine

lake aerial view

While it may not be Los Angeles or New York City, Lake LBJ holds its own when it comes to attracting the best and brightest.

Influential businessmen and women from several of the largest cities in the state (and the country) flock to the lake for weekend getaways or for retirement.

In fact, the lake is one of the top three choices for retirement in the United States!

Celebrity actors like Sandra Bullock and Matthew McConaughey as well as a number of professional athletes also love calling Lake LBJ their home.

If you’re lucky, you may see Matthew and his kids driving the boat around Horseshoe Bay.

The Beauty of the Highland Lakes is Unparalleled

Whether the blue from the sparkling expanse of water or a rainbow of Texas wildflowers, you know that stepping outside and gazing at the lake is all the color you will need some days.

Throughout April and May, people travel from far and wide to catch a glimpse of the amazing assortment of wildflowers scattered along the shoreline and surrounding fields.

Every year, visitors are drawn to the vivid colors and unrivaled charm of the Lake LBJ  area, however, you are lucky enough to call it home.

There is No Shortage of Things to Do

person boating on still waters

Whether a regatta, boat race or the annual Fourth of July Fireworks display, there is always something going on at Lake LBJ.

Aside from the usual lake activities like boating, swimming, sailing, and skiing, Lake LBJ offers a wide array of other opportunities to get outdoors.

During the day, you like to visit Lake LBJ State Park for its top-notch hiking trails. And if you’re feeling adventurous? The state park offers archery clinics, fishing days, conservation workshops and celebrations.

Rich, Texan Culture

Texas flag and USA flag

One of the most popular lakes in Texas, Lake LBJ is visited by thousands of Texans from all over the state.

Named after the 36th U.S. president, who spent a great deal of his downtime on the lake, this lake brings a touch of Texan (and national) pride to the area.

The lake’s beauty, rich history, and lively atmosphere make a great day at the lake inevitable!

Interested in making Lake LBJ your home? Residents, lake experts, and real estate agents would tell you you’d be surprised at the variety of homes found on Lake LBJ’s 30 miles of shoreline.

Homes on the Lake LBJ market range anywhere from $80,000 to $7,000,000. To get a taste of the real estate diversity on Lake LBJ or browse our 468 listings, visit lakehomes.com or contact lake expert Bruce Jones.