Lake Houston is a reservoir on the San Jacinto River, 15 miles (24 km) northeast of downtown Houston, Texas, United States. The reservoir is the primary municipal water supply for the city of Houston.
| Lake Houston | |
|---|---|
 Lake Houston near Harmaston | |
  Lake Houston  Lake Houston | |
| Location | 15 miles (24 km) northeast of downtown Houston, Texas |
| Coordinates | 29°57.53′N 95°8.93′W / 29.95883°N 95.14883°W |
| Type | Municipal water reservoir |
| Primary inflows | west fork of the San Jacinto River |
| Primary outflows | San Jacinto River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 11,854 acres (4,797 ha) |
| Max. depth | 45 ft (14 m) |
| Water volume | 160,000 acre⋅ft (0.20 km3)[1] |
| Surface elevation | 44 ft (13 m) |
Location and creation
editSituated between the communities of Kingwood, Atascocita and Humble on the west bank, Sheldon on the south, and Crosby and Huffman on the east. An earthen dam spans a portion of the southern bank along Dwight D. Eisenhower Park.
The reservoir was created in 1953 when the City of Houston built the dam to impound a reservoir to replace Sheldon Lake, then the primary source of water for the city. The city sold Sheldon Lake to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for use as a waterfowl sanctuary and public fishing site.
The City of Houston annexed the Lake Houston area and a 22.5 miles (36.2 km) canal in 1956.[2]
Fish and plant populations
editLake Houston has been stocked with species of fish intended to improve the utility of the reservoir for recreational fishing. Fish present in Lake Houston include largemouth bass, white bass, white crappie, blue catfish, and bluegill.[4]
Recreational uses
editBoating and fishing are both popular recreational uses of the lake. At the northern end of the lake, Lake Houston Wilderness Park has rental cabins, facilities for camping, a kayak launch and trails for hiking and biking.
References
edit- ^ Smyer, Susan (January 2008). "History of the City of Houston's Drinking Water Operations" (PDF). City of Houston Department of Public Works. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-01-24. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
- ^ Lee, Renée C. "Annexed Kingwood split on effects." Houston Chronicle. Sunday October 8, 2006. A21. Retrieved on July 6, 2011. Print version exclusively has the information cited; the information is not included in the online edition.
- ^ "USGS Hydrodynamics of Lake Houston". webapps.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
- ^ "Fishing Lake Houston". tpwd.texas.gov. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
External links
edit- Lake Houston - Texas Parks & Wildlife
- Lake Houston from the Handbook of Texas Online
- Lake Houston - Fishing Lake Houston
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