Richland-Chambers Reservoir facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Richland-Chambers Reservoir |
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 Richland-Chambers Reservoir
Location in Texas
Richland-Chambers Reservoir
Location in the United States
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| Location | Navarro / Freestone counties, Texas, United States |
| Coordinates | 31°57′07″N 96°05′56″W / 31.95194°N 96.09889°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Richland Creek and Chambers Creek |
| Primary outflows | Richland Creek |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 41,356 acres (16,736 ha) |
| Max. depth | 75 ft (23 m) |
| Water volume | 1,103,816 acre⋅ft (1.361537 km3) |
| Surface elevation | 314 ft (96 m) |
Richland-Chambers Reservoir is a very large lake in Texas, United States. It is the third biggest inland lake in Texas by its surface area. It is also the eighth biggest by how much water it holds. This lake was made by building a dam across Richland Creek and Chambers Creek. You can find it in Navarro and Freestone counties. It is near the towns of Corsicana and Kerens. The lake has about 330 miles (530 km) of shoreline. It looks like a "Y" shape, with the dam on its eastern side.
Contents
Building the Lake
In the 1950s, Texas had a big drought. This made people think about new ways to get water. The Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) decided to build the Richland-Chambers Reservoir. Its main goal was to provide drinking water for Tarrant County. They also planned to build a pipeline to connect it to Benbrook Lake.
Work on the lake officially began on October 7, 1982. Engineers from Freese and Nichols helped design the project. The dam was finished in July 1987. The lake then slowly filled with water, and it was full by May 1989. The pipeline that carries water from the lake started working in November 1988.
In 1999, a special project began to clean water from the Trinity River. This project uses natural wetlands to filter the river water. The cleaned water then flows into the Richland-Chambers Reservoir. This idea worked well, and now a larger wetland area is being built. More water from this project means another pipeline will be built to Tarrant County.
Who Owns the Water?
The Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) built the reservoir. They own most of the water rights. TRWD sells water to 11 different counties in Texas. Water is pumped from Richland-Chambers through a very large pipeline. This pipeline is 90 inches (2,300 mm) wide. The water then goes to other lakes like Eagle Mountain Lake for storage. From there, it goes to water treatment plants to be cleaned for drinking.
The City of Corsicana also has rights to some of the water. They can use about 32,807 acre⋅ft (0.040467 km3) of water each year. They also have the option to buy more if needed. A pipeline was built to Corsicana in 2008 so they can get this water.
Fish and Wildlife
Richland-Chambers Reservoir is home to many kinds of fish. People enjoy fishing here.
- White and hybrid striped bass
- Blue and channel catfish
- Largemouth bass
- Crappie
- Smallmouth buffalo
- Carp
The lake has been stocked with fish like Coppernose bluegill, Florida bass, channel catfish, and blue catfish. In its early years, the lake was famous for largemouth bass fishing tournaments. Today, droughts have made the fishing a bit harder.
There is an old underwater structure in the lake. It is part of the old Trinity River levee. This crescent-shaped area is a good spot for fishing.
Fun Things to Do
Even though its main job is to supply water, Richland-Chambers Reservoir is a great place for outdoor fun. You can go fishing, boating, and swimming here. The lake is still quite new, so it's not too crowded. There are many places around the lake to build houses.
The Harbor Inn Restaurant & Club is located right on the lake. It offers food and drinks for visitors. There are also several places where you can launch your boat into the water.
Places to Access the Lake
You can usually get to the lake from US 287. Here are some of the public access areas:
- Northshore Harbor
- Cedar Creek
- Chambers Creek Marina
- FM 2859 Crossing
- Cheneyboro Ramp
- Crab Creek
- Midway Landing
- Oak Cove Marina
- Old Hwy 287 Launch
- Highway 309 Park
- Fisherman's Point
