User:RachKingg/Lake Georgetown

Lake Georgetown

Lake Georgetown, also referred to as the North Fork Lake, is a reservoir located 3 miles west of Georgetown and 20 miles north of Austin in Williamson County, Texas.

           Longitude: 30° 40' 28.4052" N

           Latitude: 97° 43' 20.8848" W

Lake Georgetown was formed in January 1979 when the San Gabriel River was impounded by the North San Gabriel Dam, also referred to as the Georgetown Dam. The reservoir and dam are owned and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) (Fort Worth District) and provides water to the cities of Georgetown, Round Rock, Brushy Creek Mud, and recreation to the surrounding areas.

Hydrology

Lake Georgetown was formed in January 1979 when the San Gabriel River was impounded by the North San Gabriel Dam, also referred to as the Georgetown Dam.

Surface area: 1,297 acres

Maximum depth: 85 feet  

Yearly depth fluctuations: 5 – 30 feet

Normal water clarity: clear to sightly stained

Capacity: 37,100 acre-feet

The North San Gabriel Dam forms the reservoir.

Dam length: 6,947 feet long

Dam height: 834 feet

Date created: January 1979

Flora

High water fluctuations and rocky shorelines prevent a large variety of aquatic vegetations from establishing along the shoreline.

Fauna

There are many species of fish that can be found consistently in Lake Georgetown such as Smallmouth Bass, Black Bass, White Bass, Hybrid Stripers, White Crappie, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Blue Catfish, and other kinds of rough fish. Hybrid striped bass have been stocked annually by the USACE since 2003. The USACE also manages 1,200-acre hunting area, the Hunt Hollow Wildlife Management Area, surrounding the reservoir and is available to hunt White-Tailed Deer, Dove, Waterfowl, Rabbit, and Squirrel seasonally.

Invasive Species

There have been Zebra Mussels found in Lake Georgetown, which is considered an invasive species that spread rapidly between bodies of water and clog boats, water intake pipes, and other aquatic equipment.

Water Uses and Purposes

The reservoir and dam are owned and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) (Fort Worth District) and provides water to the cities of Georgetown, Round Rock, Brushy Creek Mud, and recreation to the surrounding areas. There is very minimal development of the shoreline because it is fully owned by the USACE.

Recreation

Parks

There are four developed parks and four undeveloped lakes in the area immediately surrounding Lake Georgetown. The four developed parks, Overlook Park, Cedar Breaks Park, Jim Hogg Park, and Russell Park are open from 8:00 am to sunset, and have sites with paved parking, covered picnic tables, fire rings, and grills. There are public boat ramps at Cedar Breaks, Jim Hogg, and Russell Park. The four undeveloped parks are considered primitive camping areas that are not accessible by vehicle. The parks, Tejas Camp, Sawyer Camp, Cedar Hollow Camp, and Walnut Springs Camp provide spaces for tent camping and do not have potable water accessible.

Trail

The San Gabriel River Trail, also known as the Good Water Loop, is a 26-mile trail that winds around the entirety of Lake Georgetown. The trail is paved and considered ADA accessible between Overlook Park and the trailhead for the City of Georgetown trail system, but the rest of the trail is considered rugged. The southern half of the trail has been restored by the Austin Ridge Riders mountain biking club, and biking is allowed on all sections of the trail.

Hunting

There is some hunting available on the 1,200-acre Hunt Hollow Wildlife Management area, managed by the USACE, for small game and archery only White-Tailed Deer permits.  

Swimming

Swimming is only available from Russell Park. There is a washed pebble beach and a protective floating pipe delineator to keep people from swimming out too far.