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/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 beautiful, river-like lake in Austin, Texas. It was once called Town Lake. This lake is actually a reservoir, which is a man-made lake used to store water. It was created in 1960 from the Colorado River.
The city of Austin built the lake to help cool a new power plant. Today, Lady Bird Lake is mostly used for fun activities and to help control floods. It covers about 416 acres. The lake is named after Lady Bird Johnson, who was a former First Lady of the United States.
Lady Bird Lake is the first in a series of lakes along the Colorado River in Texas. These lakes are called the Texas Highland Lakes. Other lakes in this chain include Lake Buchanan, Inks Lake, Lake LBJ, Lake Marble Falls, Lake Travis, and Lake Austin.
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History of Lady Bird Lake
The city of Austin built Longhorn Dam in 1960. This dam created what was then known as Town Lake. The lake's first job was to provide cooling water for the Holly Street Power Plant. This power plant operated from 1960 until 2007.
Before 1971, the area around Town Lake was not very pretty. It had lots of weeds, messy bushes, and trash. Some people even called it an "eyesore." A few concerned citizens started small projects to clean it up.
Roberta Crenshaw, who was in charge of Austin's parks, bought many trees and shrubs. She wanted to start making the parkland around the lake nicer. Later, Austin's Mayor Roy Butler helped create 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 shrubs. The city also built a system of hike and bike trails along the lake's edge.
In 2007, the Austin City Council decided to rename Town Lake to Lady Bird Lake. This happened after Lady Bird Johnson passed away. She had always said no to the idea while she was alive. The renaming honored her hard work in making the lake beautiful and creating the trails around it.
Since 2009, a group called Keep Austin Beautiful has organized cleanups. Thousands of volunteers help keep Lady Bird Lake clean every year.
Fun Activities on Lady Bird Lake
Lady Bird Lake is a very popular place for recreation in Austin. The lake's edges are lined with the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail. Many businesses near the trail offer rentals for water activities. Zilker Park, a large downtown park, is also right next to the lake. Barton Springs, a famous swimming spot, flows into the lake.
Most motorized boats are not allowed on Lady Bird Lake. This makes it a perfect spot for quieter water sports. People love to use paddleboards, kayaks, canoes, dragon boats, and rowing shells here. Austin's warm weather and the lake's calm, straight waters are great for crew teams.
Many university rowing teams, including the University of Texas team, practice on Lady Bird Lake all year. Other universities also come here to train during holidays.
You can also swim at Deep Eddy Pool, which is the oldest swimming pool in Texas. Barton Springs Pool, a natural pool, is another popular spot. It's on Barton Creek, which flows into Lady Bird Lake.
Swimming in Lady Bird Lake is not allowed. This is not because the water quality is bad, which is a common misunderstanding. The ban was put in place in 1964 because of past drownings and hidden debris from old bridges and dams. There can be a fine of up to $500 if you swim in the lake.
Many music events happen along the lake's banks throughout the year. These include the Austin City Limits Music Festival in the fall. The Austin Reggae Festival and Spamarama happen in the spring. There are also many outdoor concerts at Auditorium Shores and Fiesta Gardens. The famous blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan played many concerts at Auditorium Shores. There is a statue honoring him on the south bank.
Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail
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 trails in Texas. It is the longest trail for walking, running, and cycling maintained by the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department.
A local non-profit group, The Trail Foundation, helps take care of the trail. They have added many helpful things for users, like restrooms and gathering areas. They also work to restore the natural environment along the trail. The trail loop was completed in 2014 with a special 1-mile Boardwalk section.
The trail is about 10.1 miles (16.3 km) long. It is mostly flat and smooth. Most of the trail is made of crushed granite. There are also some concrete sections and a boardwalk on the south side of the lake. A pedestrian bridge crosses Barton Creek. The Roberta Crenshaw Pedestrian Walkway also crosses Lady Bird Lake under MoPac Boulevard.
Fishing in Lady Bird Lake
Lady Bird Lake has been stocked with different types of fish. This helps make it a good place for recreational fishing. The main types of fish you can find are largemouth bass, catfish, carp, and sunfish.
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 banned eating fish from the lake. This was because of high levels of a chemical called chlordane in the fish. Chlordane was a pesticide that was banned in 1988, but it can stay in the soil for years. The ban on eating fish from the lake was finally lifted in 1999.
Images for kids
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Part of the boardwalk in 2018
