Lake Whitney
Sunset over Lake Whitney
Whitney Dam and Reservoir is in the Brazos River Basin two miles from Whitney on the western edge of Hill County on the Bosque county line (centered at 31°52' N, 97°22' W). Construction began on May 12, 1947, as part of the Brazos River Conservation and Reclamation program, and was completed in April 1951. The reservoir, which supplies water for municipal purposes, irrigation, and power production, is owned by the United States Government and operated by the United States Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District. It has a capacity of 379,100 acre-feet and a surface area of 23,500 acres. Storage capacity for flood control is 1,620,400 acre-feet between elevations of 520 and 571 feet above mean sea level. The drainage area above the dam is 26,170 square miles. The power plant has two 15,000 kilowatt generating units. The energy produced by the units is sold to the Brazos Electric Power Cooperative for distribution in the area. Lake Whitney State Recreation Area is on the southern edge of the lake on Farm Road 1244, four miles southwest of Whitney.
Seth D. Breeding | © TSHA
Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.
Belongs to
Lake Whitney is part of or belongs to the following places:
Lake Measurements
- Surface Area (in acres): 23,220
- Storage Capacity (in acre-feet): 554,203
Lake Maintained or Owned by
USAE
Date of Origin
1951 (73 years ago)Currently Exists
Yes
Place type
Lake Whitney is classified as a Lake
Purposes
- Flood Control
- Power generation