Belton Lake
Belton Dam and the lake
Location of Belton Lake in Texas, USA.
Location of Belton Lake in Texas, USA.
Belton Lake
Location of Belton Lake in Texas, USA.
Location of Belton Lake in Texas, USA.
Belton Lake
LocationBell and Coryell counties, 5 mi (8 km) northwest of Belton, Texas
Coordinates31°06′31″N 97°28′21″W / 31.10861°N 97.47250°W / 31.10861; -97.47250
TypeFlood control reservoir
Primary inflowsLeon River
Primary outflowsLeon River
Basin countriesUnited States
Surface area12,385 acres (50.12 km2)
Max. depth124 ft (38 m)
Water volume435,000 acre⋅ft (0.537 km3)
Surface elevation594 ft (181 m)
A small part of Belton lake and the lakeshore. Belton Lake is a long, narrow, winding lake with many curves and coves.

Belton Lake is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Leon River in the Brazos River basin, 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Belton, Texas, United States. The lake extends into both Bell County and Coryell County. Belton Dam and the lake are both managed by the Fort Worth District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The reservoir was officially impounded in 1954, and serves to provide flood control and drinking water for Belton, Temple, and the surrounding communities. Belton Lake is a popular recreational destination. In the fall of 2018 Lake Belton was host to the annual “Lonestar Throwdown” kayak fishing tournament. Teams from the North, South, Central, and West Texas regions battled it out for bragging rights and ultimately North Texas took home the coveted trophy.

Belton Lake overflowed the spillway in 1991–1992 with the occurrence of two closely spaced 50 year floods. The area immediately below the spillway was heavily damaged by the floods. It was rebuilt and reconstituted as the Miller Springs Nature Center on October 26, 1993. It is run by the Miller Springs Alliance, a non profit group of volunteers and has nearly 11 miles of hiking and biking trails passing through upland, prairie, canyon and riparian habitats.

Fish populations

Belton Lake has been stocked with species of fish intended to improve the utility of the reservoir for recreational fishing. Fish present in Belton Lake include largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Striped Bass, Catfish, Bluegills, and Minnows.

Recreational uses

In addition to maintaining the dam that creates the reservoir, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains recreational facilities at the lake, including Live Oak Ridge Park, Cedar Ridge Park, Winkler Park, White Flint Park, and Westcliff Park. Under the auspices of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers the Miller Springs Alliance oversees the Miller Springs Nature Center located adjacent to Belton Dam. Boating and fishing are very popular. The Girl Scouts' Camp Kachina is on the shores of the lake.

Murders of Todd and Stacie Bagley

In 1999 Christian Youth Ministers Todd and Stacie Bagley were car-jacked by a gang and driven to the lake recreation area where they were both shot in the head and their vehicle set on fire. Two gang members convicted of the murders were executed in 2020.[1]

References

  1. ↑ writer, Katelyn Robertson | Herald staff (24 September 2018). "Killeen men's appeal in 1999 murder case denied". The Killeen Daily Herald.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)


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