Lake Houston County

Houston County Lake, formed by a dam on Little Elkhart Creek, is in the Trinity River basin ten miles northwest of Crockett in west central Houston County (at 31°25' N, 95°35' W). The reservoir is owned by Houston County Water Control District No. 1 and was built to supply water to Crockett, Grapeland, and Latexo. Construction on the dam began on April 14, 1966, and was completed in December. The reservoir has a capacity of 19,500 acre-feet, a surface area of 1,282 acres at the service spillway elevation of 260 feet above mean sea level, and a capacity of 27,000 acre-feet with a surface area of 1,600 acres at emergency spillway crest elevation. The drainage area above the dam is forty-four square miles. The surrounding flat terrain is surfaced by clay and sandy loam that supports water-tolerant hardwoods, conifers, and grasses.

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.