Belton Lake

Highway 36 crosses over Belton Lake

Highway 36 crosses over Belton Lake

Photo by Larry D. Moore, CC by SA 4

Belton Lake (Belton Reservoir) and Belton Dam are on the Leon River, part of the Brazos River basin, three miles north of Belton in northwestern Bell County (at 31°07' N, 97°28' W). The project is owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District. Construction began in July 1949; the main structure was completed in April 1954, and deliberate impoundment began on March 8, 1954. In 1966 the reservoir had a capacity of 210,600 acre-feet and a surface area of 7,400 acres at the top of the conservation storage space (elevation 569 feet above mean sea level). The reservoir provided 887,000 acre-feet of flood-control storage capacity. The drainage area above the dam was 3,560 square miles. The United States government leased for fifty years all facilities to the Bell County Water Control and Improvement District in January 1956. This district supplies Fort Hood, Killeen, and other areas with water. An additional 113,700 acre-feet of conservation storage space was sold to the Brazos River Authority for $1,602,822 plus operational costs. The authority retained the right to purchase additional storage capacity from the federal government if the conservation storage capacity is enlarged.

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.

Lake Measurements

Surface Area (in acres)
12,445
Storage Capacity (in acre-feet)
432,631

Belongs to

Belton Lake is part of or belongs to the following places.

Lake Maintained or Owned by

USAE-Brazos River Authority

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Date of Origin

1954 69 years ago

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Belton Lake is classified as a Lake

Purposes

  • Flood Control
  • Recreation
  • Municipal water supply

External Websites

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