Lake Travis, situated to the northwest of Austin, is a reservoir created in 1942 with the building of the Mansfield Dam on the Colorado River.  It is one of six man-made reservoirs known as the Texas Highland Lakes.  The lake is about 65 miles long and covers approximately 19,000 acres.  It has an average depth of 62 feet with crystal clear water. 

Lake Travis abounds with water recreation and is home to many fish and wildlife.  The lake is also used for flood control, water supply, and electrical power generation. The level of the lake can vary dramatically, depending on the amount of rainfall in the Colorado River basin upstream.  The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) has jurisdiction on Lake Travis, operating the dam, parks, and river access sites on the lake.