Lake Waco is a man-made

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

located just northwest of

Waco Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the st ...

, in

McLennan County, Texas McLennan County is a County (United States), county located on the Edwards Plateau in Central Texas. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, its population was 260,579 . Its county seat and largest city is Waco, Texas, Waco. The U.S. c ...

, which serves as the western border for the city of Waco (pop. 135,858). This reservoir provides water to several cities in the Waco Metropolitan Statistical Area, including Bellmead (pop. 9,901), Hewitt (pop. 13,368),

Robinson Robinson may refer to: People and names * Robinson (name) Fictional characters * Robinson Crusoe, the main character, and title of a novel by Daniel Defoe, published in 1719 Geography * Robinson projection, a map projection used since the 1960s ...

(pop. 10,509), Woodway (pop. 8,452), along with many other cities in th
Cross Timbers and Prairies
ecoregion of Texas. Lake Waco was formed by a dam built on the

Bosque River The Bosque River ( ) is a long river in Central Texas fed by four primary branches. The longest branch, the North Bosque, forms near Stephenville, and flows toward Waco through Hamilton, Bosque and McLennan counties. It is subsequently joined ...

basin. The lake has of water and is currently run by the

US Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

History

Originally built in 1930 by Callahan Construction Company, th
Lake Waco Dam
was used to control flooding of the Bosque river and to provide the city of Waco with a consistent water source. Due to increasing flood threats and population growth, the

Flood Control Act of 1954 A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrolog ...

allowed for construction of a modern earthen dam to replace the original structure. The new dam, finished in 1965 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was 24,618 feet in length with a height of 140 feet, increasing the surface area of the lake to 8,190 acres. While the original dam cost only $2.5 million to construct, the new dam would reach a cost of $53.4 million. In 2003, the top of the conservation pool was raised by 7 feet to bring the water level to 462 feet above sea level.

Hydrology

Lake Waco was formed from the merging of the North and South Bosque River, each being the major tributaries of the larger

Brazos River The Brazos River ( , ), called the ''Río de los Brazos de Dios'' (translated as "The River of the Arms of God") by early Spanish explorers, is the 11th-longest river in the United States at from its headwater source at the head of Blackwater Dr ...

. The spillway of the dam again outflows into the Bosque river, before joining with the Brazos. The average surface area of Lake Waco is 7,712 acres, surrounded by over 60 miles of shoreline. The average depth is around 20 feet, however the max depth extends to 85 feet. The average elevation of Lake Waco is held around 460 feet above sea level, with a typical fluctuation of 2–6 feet. Prior to the construction of the new dam, droughts and floods were common occurrences for the city of Waco. However, the new dam has proven to be the proper solution, as there has not been any serious floods since its installation. However
a 2011 study
from the Texas Water Development Board found that Lake Waco loses between 206-334 acre-feet of capacity every year due to sediment deposition.

Physicochemical characteristics

The large amount of sediment and nutrient deposition results in

eutrophic Eutrophication is the process by which an entire body of water, or parts of it, becomes progressively enriched with minerals and nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus. It has also been defined as "nutrient-induced increase in phytoplank ...

lake conditions, with algae and smartweed being the primary competitors for nutrients. The Bosque River as a whole is considered to have high nitrogen and phosphorus levels due to fertilizer runoff, and Lake Waco is no exception. The average total phosphorus load to Lake Waco is 147,093 kg/yr, while the total nitrogen load averages at 1,447,383 kg/yr. However, the nutrient concentrations in the lake suggest that just over half of this is deposited in an unusable form
The table below
shows the average level of solute concentrations of each of the four streams that in-flow to Lake Waco, concentrations being in parts per million. The amount of dissolved solids, combined with the suspension of clay from the in-flowing rivers, can cause high turbidity in Lake Waco, which ca
limit algal growth
as the water becomes less transparent. In 2010, a large comprehensive study of Lake Waco was held by the North American Lake Management Society to monitor chemical aspects of the water including nutrient levels, temperature, oxygen, pH, total organic carbon, and chlorophyll. The sedimen
core samples
were found to consist mainly of silt and clay from the tributaries deposition.

Ecology

Climate

Waco is home to a humid subtropical climate, consisting of hot, dry summers and mild winters with little snowfall. Th
annual rainfall
for Waco is 35.9 inches per year, with some form of precipitation falling an average of 76.4 days out of the year. The average high temperature in July is 95.4 °F, while the average low temperature in the month of January is 35.3 °F.

Flora

Lake Waco hosts an extremely wide variety of plant life, and students of

Baylor University Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the fir ...

have done a great job at classifying several of these organisms. Some trees and shrubs found on Lake Waco include Box elder maple, several variations of Sumac, Agarita, Roughleaf dogwood,

Honeylocust The honey locust (''Gleditsia triacanthos''), also known as the thorny locust or thorny honeylocust, is a deciduous tree in the family Fabaceae, native to central North America where it is mostly found in the moist soil of river valleys. Honey ...

Pecan The pecan (''Carya illinoinensis'') is a species of hickory native to the southern United States and northern Mexico in the region of the Mississippi River. The tree is cultivated for its seed in the southern United States, primarily in Georgia, ...

Mesquite Mesquite is a common name for several plants in the genus ''Prosopis'', which contains over 40 species of small leguminous trees. They are native to dry areas in the Americas. They have extremely long roots to seek water from very far under grou ...

, along with several types of Oak, Elm, and Ash trees. A cumulative list of all trees and shrubs can be foun
here
Lake Waco is also home to several flowering plants such as

Cocklebur ''Xanthium'' (cocklebur) is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Heliantheae within the family Asteraceae, native to the Americas and eastern Asia and some parts of south Asia . Description Cockleburs are coarse, herbaceous annual plants ...

, Giant goldenrod, and

Papyrus Papyrus ( ) is a material similar to thick paper that was used in ancient times as a writing surface. It was made from the pith of the papyrus plant, '' Cyperus papyrus'', a wetland sedge. ''Papyrus'' (plural: ''papyri'') can also refer to a ...

. There are also several species of aquatic plants such as

Cattails ''Typha'' is a genus of about 30 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. These plants have a variety of common names, in British English as bulrush or reedmace, in American English as reed, cattail, or punks, in A ...

Pickerelweed ''Pontederia'' is a genus of tristylous aquatic plants, members of which are commonly known as pickerel weeds. ''Pontederia'' is endemic to the Americas, distributed from Canada to Argentina, where it is found in shallow water or on mud. The genu ...

, and

Water lilies ''Water Lilies'' (or ''Nymphéas'', ) is a Serial imagery, series of approximately 250 oil paintings by French Impressionism, Impressionist Claude Monet (1840–1926). The paintings depict his Fondation Monet in Giverny, flower garden at Fond ...

. Wildflowers also cover the land surrounding Lake Waco, including Horsemint, the

Common sunflower The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a large annual forb of the genus ''Helianthus'' grown as a crop for its edible oily seeds. Apart from cooking oil production, it is also used as livestock forage (as a meal or a silage plant), as ...

, Texas bull nettle, and the Wild petunia.

Fauna

Waco Lake is also home to a fascinating display of Texas wildlife in its local fauna. Common bird sightings include the

Great blue heron The great blue heron (''Ardea herodias'') is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos ...

, the

Great egret The great egret (''Ardea alba''), also known as the common egret, large egret, or (in the Old World) great white egret or great white heron is a large, widely distributed egret. The four subspecies are found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and ...

, and

Red-winged blackbird The red-winged blackbird (''Agelaius phoeniceus'') is a passerine bird of the family Icteridae found in most of North America and much of Central America. It breeds from Alaska and Newfoundland south to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, and ...

s located in the

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

s north of the lake. Several species of reptiles and amphibians can be found along the edges of streams and in the wetlands, including the Green treefrog, the

American bullfrog The American bullfrog (''Lithobates catesbeianus''), often simply known as the bullfrog in Canada and the United States, is a large true frog native to eastern North America. It typically inhabits large permanent water bodies such as swamps, po ...

, the

Common snapping turtle The common snapping turtle (''Chelydra serpentina'') is a species of large freshwater turtle in the family Chelydridae. Its natural range extends from southeastern Canada, southwest to the edge of the Rocky Mountains, as far east as Nova Scotia ...

, and several species of both venomous and non-venomous snakes. Other popular animal sightings around the lake include the

American beaver The North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') is one of two extant beaver species, along with the Eurasian beaver (''Castor fiber''). It is native to North America and introduced in South America (Patagonia) and Europe (primarily Finland and ...

and the

White-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...

. Multiple species of invertebrates also call the areas around Lake Waco home, including the

Asian clam ''Corbicula fluminea'' is a species of freshwater clam native to eastern Asia which has become a successful invasive species throughout North America, South America, and Europe. ''Corbicula fluminea'' is commonly known in the west as the Asian cl ...

, the Marsh ramshorn, the Prairie rabdotus, and the

Decollate snail The decollate snail, scientific name ''Rumina decollata'', is a medium-sized predatory land snail, a species of terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Achatinidae. It is a European species that has been introduced in a number o ...

. Lake Waco also has several species of fish living beneath the water, including several species of bass, trout, catfish, crappie, carp, gar, and sunfish. If interested in fishing on Waco Lake, be sure to check out th
Local Fishing Regulations
and compare your catch to th
Waco Lake Fish Records

Invasive Species

In the fall of 2014,

Zebra mussel The zebra mussel (''Dreissena polymorpha'') is a small freshwater mussel. The species originates from the lakes of southern Russia and Ukraine, but has been accidentally introduced to numerous other areas and has become an invasive species in ma ...

s were spotted in Lake Waco. The city of Waco worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to devise a plan to quell the infestation. Before the spring spawning season, several tarps were laid upon the bottom of the lake to starve the mussels of oxygen. Surprisingly, this strategy seemed to work, as a 2016 inspection found no evidence of zebra mussel DNA in the lake. After a 5 year waiting period, the lake has now been declared Zebra mussel free.

Lake Use

As mentioned above, the primary purpose of Lake Waco is to have a stable source of water and to prevent flooding in the region. The water rights to the lake are allocated to the city of Waco and the

Brazos River Authority The Brazos River Authority or BRA was created in 1929 by the Texas Legislature as a quasi-governmental entity to manage the Brazos River as a water resource in Texas. It was originally named the Brazos River Conservation and Reclamation District ...

, although the lake is owned by the United States government. There are numerous industries in the area that rely on water from the lake, including Purvis Industries, Packless Industries, and American Industrial Lifting Products. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates the dam, and although the primary purpose is water conservation and allocation, the lake has become a local hot-spot for recreational activities during the summer since the 1930s. There are four parks that surround Lake Waco, also maintained by the corps. These include Airport Park, Midway Park, Reynolds Creek Park, and Speegleville Park. These parks contain areas for camping, picnicking, hiking, fishing, and boating. One of the hiking trails, Lacy Point Nature Trail, is recognized through the

National Trails System The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nati ...

. Over the summer, educational programs are also offered over topics such as lake history and wildlife. The wetlands north of the lake are maintained by Baylor University and the city of Waco, and are often used for research and education.

Surrounding Land Use and Effects

The use of land in the Lake Waco basin can have a significant impact upon the nutrient load received by the lake, depending upon the land use. 75% of the land area in the basin is forest and natural range land, contributing 30% of the phosphorus load to the lake and 21% of the nitrogen load. Cropland takes up a further 17% of the land area, but contributes 19% of phosphorus and a mighty 51% of nitrogen. This spike is likely due to runoff of fertilizer from the cropland adding significantly more nitrogen to the water. On the other hand,

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations In animal husbandry, a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO), as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is an intensive animal feeding operation (AFO) in which over 1,000 animal units are confined for over 45 days a ...

(feedlots) account for less than 5% of land area in the lake basin, however, contribute 21% of the overall phosphorus load, which is greatly skewed when compared to the much larger area. If land use is not properly managed, nutrients could be added to the lake much faster, speeding the process of eutrophication at an alarming rate.

External links

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Waco LakeU.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Waco LakeU.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Waco Lake Master Plan SupplementLake Waco Comprehensive Study

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Waco Bodies of water of McLennan County, Texas Dams in Texas

Lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

Protected areas of McLennan County, Texas Reservoirs in Texas

United States Army Corps of Engineers dams