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Lake
Austin
Photo Courtesy of Chandra Moira Beal |
LAKE
AUSTINExcerpted
from Splash
Across Texas
THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO SWIMMING IN CENTRAL TEXAS
by Chandra Moira
Beal
Riverboats
were very popular at the turn of the century and made regular excursions to what
was then known as Lake McDonald. A paddleboat called the Ben Hur used to
take people up to Camp Chautauqua for parties before the Colorado
River was dammed. The water level is fairly constant. At 1,830 acres and twenty-two
miles long, Lake Austin is ideal for water-skiing, boating and swimming.
What is now Lake Austin was once a thriving area of early settlements.
The water has since covered up several springs. Power House Springs was
discovered during the construction of one of the dams in 1893. Bee Springs,
just above Tom Miller Dam, is under the convergence
of Bee Creek and Lake Austin. Mormon Springs was the site of a Mormon
settlement in 1846 and was also used for a gristmill. Mount Bonnell Springs
is a cluster of water sources near the mountain. Santa Monica Springs was
also a popular watering hole and many artifacts were found there. The waters of
Lake Austin, being rich in minerals, were once bottled by early settlers in the
1890s.
Where
to Stay > Austin
Hotels |
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Stradling
Lake Austin
Photo Courtesy of Chandra Moira Beal |
Walsh
Boat Landing
This
is a great place to stop and rest on Lake Austin Boulevard just north of Oyster
Landing-a very popular little strip of trendy restaurants and shops. The boat
launch has a dock where you can swim up to fifty feet out from the shore. An open
water swim is held here each September. There are a couple of picnic tables and
bathrooms for public use. The LCRA headquarters is located across the street and
has information about Lake Austin and other facilities.
Where
to Stay > Austin
Hotels |
Fritz
Hughes Park
This
park is off of RR 620 on Low Water Crossing Road (turn left on Fritz Hughes Road).
It's a five-acre day use park with rest rooms, picnic tables and grills, a playscape
and sports courts. The park is faced by residential housing on one side and the
lake on the other. The access road winds around to the lake front. It's not a
great swimming spot because the water can be swift, but it is allowed.
Where to
Stay > Austin
Hotels |
Mary
Quinlan Park
This
park at the very end of Quinlan Park Road, has the only boat ramp within several
miles. It is 5.8 acres and for day use only. The park has rest rooms, a few picnic
tables and grills, sports courts, and easy access to the lake.
Where to
Stay > Austin
Hotels |
Selma
Hughes Park
Photo Courtesy of Chandra Moira Beal |
Selma
Hughes Park
This
park off of Quinlan Park Road on Selma Hughes Park Road is a quiet five acres
for day use only, with rest rooms, picnic tables and grills. It is a small shaded
park with a sandy beach.
Where to
Stay > Austin
Hotels |
Tom
Miller Dam and Lake Austin
Postcard courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/
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Tom Miller
Dam and Lake Austin
From Dam Fun - Highland
Lakes and Dams by Rob
Hafernik
Tom
Miller was the mayor of Austin when the dam was
completed, so they named it after him. Two dams had been previously constructed
on the spot and both had been washed away, with catastrophic consequences. The
first time, in 1900, the dam was a masonry dam (built of granite blocks) and about
half of it washed away. The second dam was hollow and used wooden gates. It was
damaged in 1915 and several more times in the 1930's until the city finally built
Tom Miller dam, which stands to this day (although with some upgrades)...
Above the dam is Lake Austin, a constant level lake with many, many expensive
homes and boats. It holds about 21,000 acre-feet of water and, when it's flowing
the way it is right now, pushes enough water through Tom Miller Dam to generate
17 megawatts of electricity. It's also home to the Pennybacker
Bridge, which is a sort of Austin icon (although
everyone just calls it the "Loop 360 Bridge").
Where
to Stay > Austin
Hotels |
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