Lake McConaughy

Lake McConaughy
Outlet tower at Lake McConaughy
Location of Lake McConaughy in Nebraska, USA.
Location of Lake McConaughy in Nebraska, USA.
Lake McConaughy
Location of Lake McConaughy in Nebraska, USA.
Location of Lake McConaughy in Nebraska, USA.
Lake McConaughy
LocationKeith County, Nebraska,
United States
Coordinates41°13′30″N 101°43′00″W / 41.22500°N 101.71667°W / 41.22500; -101.71667
Typereservoir
Basin countriesUnited States
Max. length22 mi (35 km)
Max. width4 mi (6.4 km)
Surface area35,700 acres (144 km2)
Max. depth142 ft (43 m)
Surface elevation3,274 ft (998 m)[1]

Lake McConaughy (known locally and affectionately as Lake Mac) is a reservoir on the North Platte River. It is located 9 miles (14 km) north of Ogallala, Nebraska, United States, near U.S. Highway 26 and Nebraska Highway 61. The reservoir was named for Charles W. McConaughy, a grain merchant and mayor of Holdrege, Nebraska, one of the leading promoters of the project. Although he did not live to see the completion of the project, his leadership and perseverance eventually culminated in a public power and irrigation project that helped Nebraska become one of the nation's leading agricultural states.