Possum Kingdom Lake, located on the main stem of the Brazos River northwest of Fort Worth, was the first water supply reservoir constructed in the Brazos River basin. Located in Young, Palo Pinto, Stephens, and Jack counties, the construction of the Morris Sheppard Dam was begun in 1938 and completed in 1941 with the aid of the Works Progress Administration Program.

Named for the United States Senator who was instrumental in obtaining funding for the project, the Morris Sheppard dam is 2,700 feet long and 190 feet high. The dam consists of nine crest "roof weir" type gates, each approximately 74 feet long and 13 feet high for the passage of floodwaters. Each gate passes approximately 9,600 cubic feet per second (cfs) of water when open.

The Morris Sheppard dam is a hydro electric generating facility with two 11,250 kilowatt generators. Categorized as a "peaking plant," the generators can supply electricity during high demand periods.

Possum Kingdom receives an estimated three million recreation visitors annually. Major activities on the lake include fishing, water skiing, and scuba diving. The lake has public fishing piers, five public boat ramps, public access areas for picnicking, and a total of 400 primitive camp sites.

To view a copy of the Possum Kingdom Lake permit, click here

De Cordova Bend Dam and Lake Granbury were constructed by the Brazos River Authority and are maintained and operated by the Authority as a source of water supply.

Construction of the project began in December 1966 and was completed in September 1969. The project provides 129,011 acre-feet of storage capacity for conservation of flood and storm waters to meet requirements of municipalities, industries, agriculture and mining.  To view the state permit establishing Lake Granbury, click here

The lake was built without use of any tax money, having been financed entirely with revenues from sales of water by the Authority. The principal revenues used to finance the project are provided under a contract with TXU Electric Company for purchase of water for industrial use, including cooling water for a natural gas-fired steam electric power plant on the lake and the Comanche Peak nuclear power plant near Glen Rose. The lake also furnishes raw water for the Authority’s Lake Granbury Surface Water and Treatment System, which supplies treated water to customers in Hood and Johnson counties. 

The lake has five public access areas for picnicking and fishing. Four of these areas have primitive camping sites. 

Lake Limestone, located on the upper Navasota River in Limestone, Robertson and Leon counties, is a water supply reservoir built by the Brazos River Authority in 1978.

Construction of the reservoir was made possible through the sale of water to Texas Electric Utilities for "cooling water" to be used by their lignite-burning electric plants in the area.  To view a copy of the Lake Limestone state permit, click here

Water from the lake is supplied for similar use at a NRG steam-electric plant just east of the lake and a Texas Municipal Power Agency power plant located near the Navasota River 50 miles downstream.

The waters of the lake are open for public use for all types of water-based recreation. The Authority provides free public access areas at various locations around the lake for boating, swimming, fishing and other recreational activities.

Lake Limestone was formed by the construction of Sterling C. Robertson Dam. Constructed of earth and concrete, the dam runs 8,395 feet.

The Robertson Dam stands 72 feet tall with a emergency spillway measuring 3,000 feet. The service spillway is made of concrete and houses five "tainter" gates for water release. Each gate measures 40 x 28 feet. The depth of the lake near the dam is 43 feet.

When full, the lake covers a surface area of 12,680 surface acres and holds back 225,440 acre-feet or 73.5 billion gallons of water.

The project was built entirely without use of any tax money. Funding for the reservoir was financed by revenues from the sale of water.

The Texas Legislature created the Clean Rivers Program in 1991 when it passed the Texas Clean Rivers Act. Legislators’ goal was to push Texas towards comprehensive water planning and management to ensure the future quality of the water supply.

The state designated the Brazos River Authority as the lead agency to conduct water quality assessment and Clean Rivers Program (CRP) planning in the Brazos River watershed. Every one to three months, the Authority tests water for everything from temperature and salinity to dissolved solids and chemical contaminants at 150 to 200 sites.

If that data indicates there is a problem, officials could respond with a Watershed Protection Plan. A WPP is a means for the community to come together to discuss and plan ways to resolve water quality issues.

More severe issues might call for a government mandated Total Maximum Daily Load Program which limits the discharge of certain contaminants. An example of the program’s success can be found at Lake Aquilla, where officials worked with farmers to reduce levels of herbicide in the water. 

More information on the Clean Rivers Program may be found by clicking here

Authorized by the state, the Brazos River Authority’s system operations permit allows the Authority to sell up to 705,000 acre-feet of water basin-wide from the 11 system reservoirs and the rivers within the watershed. The system permit allows the Authority to draw the water from any of the reservoirs and rivers included in the system allowing the Authority to utilize the sources with the largest storage of water at any specific time.  For a full size map, click here

A variety of maps of the Brazos basin can be found on the Authority’s Web site by clicking here.

Yes, the Authority’s Speaker’s Bureau will provide speakers on a variety of water related topics free to civic groups and community organizations. Groups frequently request such topics as as water planning, water and wastewater treatment, flood management and future planning. For more information, go to the Bureau’s web page or call the Authority's Public Information Office at 888-922-6272. 

Maps of Authority lakes may be found online by visiting each lake’s Web page: Possum Kingdom, Granbury and Limestone  Printed maps of all the lakes are available free of charge at each lake office or by calling the Public Information Office at (888) 922-6272.

The fee for a dock basically allows the permit holder to build and maintain a permanent structure over Authority property (the lake bed). It also gives the Authority the ability to ensure that the docks that are built are safe. The permit fee is not a tax, but rather a fee for a service.  For a dock permit application, click here. 

Lakeside property owners can build docks on the lake if they complete an Authority On-Water Facilities Permit, pay the relevant fees and the Authority approves the permit. Lake regulations set requirements property owners must meet when building a dock.  Details on these regulations may be found in Section 7 of the regulations.

Yes, Authority parks have campsites that are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Camping is free year-round at Granbury and Limestone Lakes, as well as September through May at Possum Kingdom Lake.

Each Authority park offers amenities ranging from tables to shelters and grills and pits. Many of the parks also offer nearby restrooms and showers. If you prefer something a little less rustic, private groups offer cabin and RV sites. For more information about camping opportunities at Authority lakes, call the Public Information Office at (888) 922-6272.

Fishing is allowed in these areas, though under Texas state law a fishing license is required to fish in public waters. There are exceptions to this requirement however. Those younger than 17, whether Texas residents or non-residents, are exempt. Also, Texas residents born before Sept. 1, 1930 are exempt from license requirements.

Texas residents, 65 and older that were born after Sept. 1, 1930 may buy a Senior Resident Fishing License All visitors to Texas state parks can fish without a license. The only such location at an Authority lake is Possum Kingdom State Park.  For more information about fishing regulations in Texas, go to the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife Web site.

Hunting is allowed in designated areas at the Authority’s three reservoirs. Each August, the Authority holds a drawing to lease duck blind locations on Possum Kingdom, Granbury, and Limestone lakes. Some 48 locations are designated for hunting blinds in areas that are less populated.

Hunting is not allowed on Authority property that is not specifically designated for waterfowl blinds, target ranges, or bow hunting. For more information about the drawing at a specific lake, call that lake’s office. The numbers can be found on the Authority’s Web site, here

The Authority operates two raw water lines that carry non-potable water. The Williamson County Regional Water Line carries raw water from Stillhouse Hollow Lake to Lake Georgetown, where the water serves residents of Georgetown, Round Rock, the Brushy Creek Municipal Utility District and the Chisholm Trail Special Utility District.

The Authority also uses the West Central Texas Raw Water Line to carry water from Possum Kingdom Lake to several area customers.

The Brazos River Authority owns and operates two water treatment plants.  East Williamson County Regional Water System serves the cities of Taylor, Hutto and Thrall, the Jonah Special Utilities District and the Nowak Water Supply Company. The Lake Granbury Surface Water and Treatment System (SWATS) provides water to the City of Granbury, the Acton Municipal Utility District, the Johnson County Special Utilities District and the City of Keene.

In addition to the regional plants, the Authority contracts to operate the Sandy Creek Water Treatment Plant in Leander and the Lee County Fresh Water Supply District No. 1, which serves the community of Dime Box.