Longhorn Dam

Longhorn Dam
The upstream side of Longhorn Dam in 2005
Longhorn Dam is located in Texas
Longhorn Dam
Location of Longhorn Dam in Texas
Official nameLonghorn Dam
LocationAustin, Texas, United States
Coordinates30°15′1″N 97°42′49″W / 30.25028°N 97.71361°W / 30.25028; -97.71361
Opening date1960 (1960)
Operator(s)City of Austin
Dam and spillways
ImpoundsColorado River
Height36 feet (11 m)
Length506 feet (154 m)
Reservoir
CreatesLady Bird Lake
Surface area471 acres (191 ha)

Longhorn Dam is a dam crossing the Colorado River in Austin, Texas, United States, where it creates Lady Bird Lake. Completed in 1960, the dam was built by the City of Austin as the last in a chain of Colorado River dams in central Texas begun during the Great Depression. The name refers to its location on a ford used for longhorn cattle drives as a part of the Chisholm Trail in the late 19th century.