Lake Stamford

Lake Stamford
Lake Stamford from 34,000 ft (10,000 m)
Lake Stamford Show map of Texas Lake Stamford Show map of the United States
Lake Stamford depth ranges
Location	Haskell County, Texas
Coordinates	33°02′40″N 99°36′30″W / 33.0444°N 99.6082°W / 33.0444; -99.6082
Lake type	reservoir
Primary inflows	Paint Creek
Primary outflows	Paint Creek
Catchment area	368 sq mi (950 km2)
Basin countries	United States
Built	1953
Max. length	7.2 mi (11.6 km)
Max. width	3.2 mi (5.1 km)
Surface area	5,125 acres (2,074 ha)
Average depth	11.5 ft (3.5 m)
Max. depth	45.3 ft (13.8 m)
Water volume	51,573 acre⋅ft (0.0636 km3)
Residence time	2.5 years[1]
Shore length1	63 mi (101 km)
Surface elevation	1,416.8 ft (431.8 m)
Frozen	never
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Lake Stamford, a reservoir formed by Stamford Dam, is located 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Stamford, Texas, in southeastern Haskell County. The lake had a storage capacity in 1999 of 51,573 acre-feet (63,614,000 m³) and drains an area of 368 square miles (950 km²). Due to sedimentation, the estimated capacity as of 2013 is 50,061 acre⋅ft (61,749,000 m³).^[2] The City of Stamford owns the lake and half the water rights to Lake Stamford, while American Electric Power (AEP) owns the other half. The city also owns, operates, and maintains associated Stamford Dam.

Lake Stamford serves as the municipal water source for Stamford and the small neighboring communities of Lueders, Ericksdahl, Paint Creek, Sagerton, Avoca, and Corinth. For the lake's 60-year history, water levels have retained significant importance to these communities, providing them their sole source of water. Several notable rain events occurred in 1978 and 2005, resulting in record water levels. Recreational activities include boating, fishing, waterskiing, jet-skiing, and camping. Two marinas are on the lake: Stamford Marina on the south shore, and Anchor Marina on the north.