Lady Bird Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lady Bird Lake |
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View from Lady Bird Lake toward Downtown Austin
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 Lady Bird Lake
Location in Texas
Lady Bird Lake
Location in the United States
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| Location | Central Austin, Texas, United States |
| Coordinates | 30°15′03″N 97°42′49″W / 30.25083°N 97.71361°W |
| Type | Power plant cooling and recreational reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Colorado River |
| Primary outflows | Colorado River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Built | 1960 |
| Surface area | 468 acres (189 ha) |
| Max. depth | 18 ft (5.5 m) |
| Surface elevation | 428 ft (130 m) |
Lady Bird Lake is a lovely, river-like lake in Austin, Texas. It's actually a reservoir, which is like a big, artificial lake built to store water. This reservoir was created in 1960. It was first used to cool a power plant.
Today, Lady Bird Lake is mostly used for fun activities and to help control floods. The lake covers about 416 acres. It is named after Lady Bird Johnson, who was a former First Lady of the United States. She worked hard to make the area around the lake beautiful.
Lady Bird Lake is the first in a series of lakes on the Colorado River in Texas. This river is completely within Texas. It's different from the much larger Colorado River in the western United States. The other lakes in this chain are called the Texas Highland Lakes. They include Lake Buchanan, Inks Lake, Lake LBJ, Lake Marble Falls, Lake Travis, and Lake Austin.
History of Lady Bird Lake
How Lady Bird Lake Was Created
The City of Austin built Longhorn Dam in 1960. This dam created what was then called Town Lake. The lake's main job was to cool down the Holly Street Power Plant. This power plant operated from 1960 until 2007.
Making the Lake Beautiful
Before 1971, the edges of Town Lake were not very pretty. They were often messy with weeds and trash. Some people in Austin wanted to clean up the lake. Roberta Crenshaw, who led the Austin Board of Parks and Recreation, bought many trees and bushes. She wanted to start making the parkland around the lake nicer.
Roy Butler, who was the Mayor of Austin from 1971 to 1975, helped a lot. He created the Town Lake Beautification Committee. He asked Lady Bird Johnson to be the honorary leader of this project. Lady Bird Johnson's involvement brought a lot of attention and money to the project. She even gave $19,000 of her own money. This helped plant hundreds of new trees and bushes. The city also built hike and bike trails along the lake's edge.
Renaming the Lake for Lady Bird Johnson
On July 26, 2007, the Austin City Council decided to rename Town Lake. They changed its name to Lady Bird Lake. This was done to honor Lady Bird Johnson, who had passed away earlier that month. She had always said no to having the lake named after her while she was alive. The City Council wanted to recognize her hard work. She dedicated herself to making the lake beautiful and creating the trails around it.
Community Clean-Up Efforts
In 2009, a group called Keep Austin Beautiful started a program called "Clean Lady Bird Lake." This program brings together thousands of volunteers every year. They help clean up the lake and its shores regularly.
In 2014, a special boardwalk was built. It's a one-mile section of the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail. This boardwalk made it easier for people to enjoy the lake.
Fun Activities at Lady Bird Lake
Lady Bird Lake is a very popular place for recreation in Austin. The Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail runs all around the lake. Many businesses offer services for renting boats and other watercraft. Zilker Park, Austin's biggest downtown park, is right next to the lake. Barton Springs, a famous swimming spot, also flows into the lake.
Boating and Water Sports
Most motorized boats are not allowed on Lady Bird Lake. This makes it a perfect place for quiet water sports. People love to use paddleboards, kayaks, canoes, dragon boats, and rowing shells here. Austin's warm weather and the lake's calm, long waters are great for crew teams.
Many university rowing teams, including the University of Texas women's team, train on Lady Bird Lake. Teams from other universities also come to practice during holidays.
Swimming and Other Water Fun
You can swim in Deep Eddy Pool, which is the oldest swimming pool in Texas. Another popular spot is Barton Springs Pool. This is a natural pool on Barton Creek that flows into Lady Bird Lake.
Below Tom Miller Dam is Red Bud Isle. This small island is a fun place with a dog park. You can also get into the lake here for canoeing and fishing.
Swimming directly in Lady Bird Lake is not allowed. This rule was put in place in 1964. It's not because of bad water quality, as some people think. Instead, it's due to past drownings and debris in the water from old bridges and dams. If you swim in the lake, you could get a fine.
In August 2019, a harmful type of blue-green algae was found in the lake. This algae was reported to have made several dogs sick.
Music and Events by the Lake
Many events happen along the banks of Lady Bird Lake all year. The Austin City Limits Music Festival takes place here in the fall. Other events like the Austin Reggae Festival happen in the spring. There are also many outdoor concerts at Auditorium Shores and Fiesta Gardens.
A statue of the famous blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan stands on the south bank. He played many concerts at Auditorium Shores.
Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail and Boardwalk
The Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail goes all the way around Lady Bird Lake. It used to be called the Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail. This trail is one of the oldest urban paths for walking and biking in Texas. It's the longest trail for non-motorized traffic managed by the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department.
A local non-profit group, The Trail Conservancy, helps take care of the trail. They have added things like restrooms, exercise equipment, and gathering areas. They also work to restore the natural environment along the trail.
The full loop of the Butler Trail was finished in 2014. This was when the one-mile Boardwalk at Lady Bird Lake was completed. This project cost $28 million and was a team effort between the public and private groups.
The trail is about 10.1 miles (16.3 km) long. It is mostly flat, making it easy to use. Most of the trail is made of crushed granite, with some parts made of concrete and the boardwalk. A special pedestrian bridge crosses Barton Creek. The Roberta Crenshaw Pedestrian Walkway also crosses Lady Bird Lake under MoPac Boulevard.
The trail also includes the Lou Neff Point Gazebo. This spot is considered 'Austin Art in Public Places'.
Fishing in Lady Bird Lake
Lady Bird Lake has been stocked with different kinds of fish. This makes it a good place for recreational fishing. You can find largemouth bass, catfish, carp, and sunfish here. If you want to fish, you need a fishing license. There are also rules about how many fish you can catch and their size.
In 1990, the City of Austin banned eating fish caught in the lake. This was because high levels of a chemical called chlordane were found in the fish. Chlordane was a pesticide that was banned in 1988. It can stay in the soil and water for many years. The ban on eating fish from the lake was finally lifted in 1999.
Past Use for Drinking Water
The first water treatment plant in Austin was built in 1925. It was called the Thomas C. Green Water Treatment Plant. This plant treated water from the Colorado River. It was located just west of downtown Austin. The plant stopped operating in late 2008.
