Mansfield Dam is located in Austin and helps create one of our nicer area lakes.
I decided to share some of the Austin area with those who wanted to take a look. This Friday, March 16th, 2001, I took the day off and Jeff, Cindy, and I all drove out to Mansfield Dam. This Dam creates one of the area's best recreational and scenic areas, along with providing a water source for a portion of the Austin area.
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These are a few of my favorite photographs from the dam. Feel free to browse them as you like. If you want one click your right mouse button and choose "Save As" from the menu.
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Sobering Stastics
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Top of the dam.
This is the road that runs the length of the top of the dam. Vehicle traffic isn't allowed so this makes for a great place for a walk on a warm day in March.
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Texas sailboat paradise.
The dam creates a fabulous recreational area known as Lake Travis. The Peninsula on the left has a public boat landing. There is nearly always a breeze on this huge lake so sail boating is very popular.
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Need a lift?
The huge crane below is on rails and moves from one end of the dam to the other. It is used to operate control valves so that the spillways below can be worked on dry should maintenance be necessary.
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A loooong way down....
In this picture, Cindy is looking down at the spillways and flood gates used to control the water level in the lake.
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All the 411 is right there
Information plates like this one are placed along the walkway at the top of the dam |
The high road
This picture is taken from the top of the dam looking down at the Hydroelectric plant and "Lake Austin". Lake Austin is 1300 feet wide at its widest point and amounts to a wide spot in the river. The highway is much more impressive from this angle.....as you drive over it you don't realize just what an engineering marvel it is!
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Family Photos
We took some pictures of the 3 of us while on our walk. Don't let Jeff fool you, he's not quite as tall as he looks. He wore his roller blades for our walk, which amounts to 1.8 miles round trip, end to end of the dam.
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The world changes
These pictures are not replaceable, nor are the scenic vistas they portray. Since the tragic events of September 11th, the dam is off limits to everyone but those who work to maintain it. |
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