Lake Lyndon B. Johnson
Granite Shoals, Burnet County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This lake, originally Granite Shoals, was renamed for the President of the United States on April 22, 1965, by the Board of Directors, Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA); in gratitude for his work as U. S. Congressman and Senator toward the development of the project. Mr. Johnson devoted much time and skill to the completion of LCRA programs creating flood control, water conservation and low cost electric power for the people of the Highland Lakes country. A native of this Hill Country, Mr. Johnson maintains a home on the lake and uses it often as a place for relaxation and the entertainment of guests. It is near his ranch and boyhood home. The body of water impounded by the Alvin J. Wirtz Dam has 6,200 surface acres and 138,000 acre-feet. Construction was begun on the dam in 1949 and since its completion the lake has primarily been a source of hydroelectric energy from the overflow of Lake Buchanan to the north. It is also one of Texas' most outstanding boating and fishing areas. This lake, some 20 miles long, is one of seven in the LCRA which extend 100 miles up the Colorado from Austin. Together they form the largest hydroelectric system in the state. (1967)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Impounded behind the Alvin J. Wirtz Dam beginning in 1949, this Highland Lakes reservoir was renamed in 1965 to honor Lyndon B. Johnson, the Hill Country native whose work in Congress advanced the flood-control, water-conservation, and low-cost power projects of the Lower Colorado River Authority. Johnson kept a home nearby and often returned to relax near his ranch and boyhood home.
Why it matters
The lake honors LBJ's early championing of public power and water projects that transformed the Texas Hill Country and shaped his lifelong faith in government's power to improve rural lives.
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Related people
- · Lyndon B. Johnson
- · Alvin J. Wirtz
Themes & tags
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