Lake Tawakoni facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Tawakoni |
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Sunset over Duck Cove
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 Lake Tawakoni
Location in Texas
Lake Tawakoni
Location in the United States
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| Location | Hunt / Rains / Van Zandt counties, Texas, US |
| Coordinates | 32°50′45″N 95°56′36″W / 32.84583°N 95.94333°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Managing agency | Sabine River Authority of Texas |
| First flooded | October 1960 |
| Surface area | 37,879 acres (15,329 ha) |
| Water volume | 926,000 acre⋅ft (1.142×109 m3) |
| Shore length1 | 200 mi (320 km) |
| Surface elevation | 437.5 ft (133.4 m) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Lake Tawakoni is a very large lake in Northeast Texas. It is a reservoir, which means it's a human-made lake. It covers about 37,879-acre (15,329 ha) of land.
You can find Lake Tawakoni about 48 miles (77 km) east of Dallas, Texas. The lake is spread across three Texas counties: Hunt, Rains, and Van Zandt. People use this lake for getting water and for fun activities like fishing and boating. The lake is managed by the Sabine River Authority of Texas.
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What's in a Name?
Lake Tawakoni gets its name from the Tawakoni Native American people. They were a big part of the Caddo Nation. The Caddo people used to live in a large area of North and East Texas. This area included where the lake is located today.
How Lake Tawakoni Was Made
This huge lake was built in 1960. It was created by building the Iron Bridge Dam. The area was chosen because it was close to the growing city of Dallas. Many people were moving to the east side of Dallas and its nearby towns.
Before the lake was built, three smaller rivers met here. These were the South Fork, Cowleech Fork, and Caddo Forks. They all came together to form the start of the Sabine River. Now, these river parts are under the lake's surface. Lake Tawakoni now serves as the beginning of the Sabine River.
The lake is very big, covering 37,879 acres (15,329 ha). It can hold a lot of water, about 926,000 acre-feet (1.142×109 m3). The Sabine River Authority of Texas owns and manages the lake.
Animals and Plants of Lake Tawakoni
Lake Tawakoni is home to many different kinds of animals and plants. You can find animals like deer, wild pigs, snakes, raccoons, and bobcats here. There are also more than 200 types of birds that live around the lake. Sometimes, people even see American alligators in certain parts of the lake.
The main types of trees around the lake are post oak hardwood trees. You can also find many other plants that naturally grow in the Texas Blackland Prairies region.
The Giant Spider Web
In the summer of 2007, something very unusual happened at Lake Tawakoni State Park. A huge and rare spider web was found there. This amazing web stretched for over 200-yard (180 m)! It got a lot of attention from scientists who study insects, called entomologists.
Pictures of Lake Tawakoni
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As viewed from West Tawakoni City Park in West Tawakoni, Texas
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As viewed from East Tawakoni, Texas
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The 200-yard (180 m) spider web found in Lake Tawakoni State Park
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Lake Tawakoni Iron Bridge Dam in East Texas
