Lavon Lake is a
freshwater
Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...
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 in southeast
Collin County, Texas
Collin County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth- Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and a small portion of the city of Dallas is in the county. At the 2020 United States census, the county's populat ...
, on the East Fork of the
Trinity River near
Wylie, off
State Highway 78.
It is commonly called Lake Lavon for commercial and recreational purposes, but Lavon Lake is its official name according to the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
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, anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day)
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, battles_label = Wars
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, commander1 = ...
. It was originally called Lavon Reservoir.
Statistics
* Length:
* Maximum depth: 38 ft
* Surface area:
* Conversion storage capacity:
* Conservation pool elevation: msl
* Spillway level:
* Shoreline length:
* Wildlife management area: 6,500 acres
* Date impounded: September 14, 1953
* Owned by: United States government (North Texas Municipal Water District, the local cooperative agency, has rights to of water in the conservation pool of the lake)
* Operated by: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
In addition to flood control and recreation,
the lake serves as a water source for hundreds of thousands of North Texas residents. Lavon Lake is a part of the North Texas Municipal Water District system.
History
Started in 1948 and completed in 1953, the
Lavon Dam
Lavon Dam is located in Collin County, Texas on the East Fork of the Trinity River, about 3 miles east of Wylie and 22 miles northeast of Dallas. It was constructed to create the Lavon Lake
Lavon Lake is a freshwater reservoir located in southea ...
was created to impound the upstream East Fork of the Trinity River, some of its tributaries, and the areas immediately surrounding them. The reservoir was primarily designed for preventing seasonal flooding of rich bottomland in northeastern Collin County, and water storage. Its construction also stimulated land development along the shores of the lake and recreational use of the water and adjacent land areas.
In 1962, Congressional approval was given to modify the project to increase storage for water supply because of the growing water supply need of the area.
Also part of the modification was to add recreation as a purpose for the lake. This focused management and development for public use, recreational activities, and stewardship of the water and land areas.
Fishing
Lavon Lake's most prevalent fish species are the
largemouth bass
The largemouth bass (''Micropterus salmoides'') is a carnivorous freshwater gamefish in the Centrarchidae ( sunfish) family, a species of black bass native to the eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada and northern Mexico, but ...
,
white bass
The white bass, silver bass, or sand bass (''Morone chrysops'') is a freshwater fish of the temperate bass family Moronidae. commonly around 12-15 inches long. The species' main color is silver-white to pale green. Its back is dark, with white s ...
,
blue catfish
The blue catfish (''Ictalurus furcatus'') is the largest species of North American catfish, reaching a length of and a weight of . The typical length is about 25–46 in (64–117 cm). The fish can live to 20 years. The native distribution ...
, and
crappie
Crappies () are two species of North American freshwater fish of the genus ''Pomoxis'' in the family Centrarchidae (sunfishes). Both species of crappies are popular game fish among recreational anglers.
Etymology
The genus name ''Pomoxis'' ...
.
See also
*
Trinity River Authority
The Trinity River Authority (TRA) was formed in 1955 by the Texas legislature. Its main concerns are water supply and water conservation in the Trinity River Basin. The authority extends over , including all or part of 17 counties.Trinity River A ...
References
External links
*
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Lavon LakeLearn about fishing at Lake Lavon
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lavon
Reservoirs in Texas
Trinity River (Texas)
Bodies of water of Collin County, Texas
Protected areas of Collin County, Texas