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BUCHANAN DAM, Texas

Pronounced: "Buch-an-ann" (rhymes with "buck" deer, with the "k" not emphasized)

"no slogan"

Population (2007): 1,814Businesses (2000):COL Index (2008): 83.6
Elevation: 1,043 ftArea: 20.1 smCounty: Llano
Zip Code: 78609Area Code: 512Time Zone: CST
Coordinates: 30 45' 52" N, 98 27' 15" W
Location: On S shore of Lake Buchanan; 71 mi NW of Austin
16 mi E of Llano; 13 mi W of Burnet; 8 mi N of Kingsland; 9 mi SE of Bluffton
Highways: TX 29, RR 261
Creeks:Rivers: ColoradoLakes: Buchanan, Inks
Parks: Nearby Inks Lake State Park, Black Rock

REFERENCES

CITY: Unincorporated, Census Designated Place (CDP)

CHAMBER & TOURISM:

LAKE BUCHANAN/INKS LAKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE:
512-793-2803; Fax: 512-793-2112
PO Box 282, Buchanan Dam, TX 78609
Web: www.buchanan-inks.org; E-mail: info@buchanan-inks.com Devil's Waterhole at Inks Lake, photo by K Dry

HILL COUNTRY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL:
830-798-8118
608 Gateway Central, Suite 101, Marble Falls, TX 78654
Web: www.hillcountryedc.com; Email: not available
HCEDC serves: Burnet and Llano Counties, focusing on the Highland Lakes area above Austin, including Bertram, Buchanan Dam, Burnet, Cottonwood Shores, Granite Shoals, Highland Haven, Horseshoe Bay, Kingsland, Llano, Marble Falls, Meadowlakes, Spicewood, Sunrise Beach

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS: Lake Buchanan, Inks Lake State Park Deer Creek Falls at Lake Buchanan

BUCHANAN DAM: Built by the LCRA in 1939, it is the largest multi-arch dam in the world. Open for visitor viewing. See museum and visitor center below. Part of Highland Lakes area (see Highland Lakes)

BUCHANAN DAM & MUSEUM & VISITOR CENTER: 512-793-2803. W. Hwy 29, Buchanan Dam (SH 29 West of Inks Lake Bridge). Spectacular view of largest of Highland Lakes; in building near dam; telescopes. Houses local chamber of commerce, and museum that features construction of Buchanan Dam, dedicated in 1937 and one of the largest of its kind in the U.S. Living history videotape, old photographs, exhibits on area history, Xeriscape garden. Visitors enjoy feeding huge school of fish that congregate below observation deck. Dam is open year round. Visitor Center open seasonally. Free Admission. Daily 9a-5p (closed holidays). Map Vanishing Cruise Boat

VANISHING TEXAS RIVER CRUISE: 800-474-8374; Originates at N end of Lake Buchanan where tour boat docks at Canyon of the Eagles Park pier (see below). This 2.5 hr tour in an enclosed boat with 2 observation decks allows visitors to see the spectacular wilderness and wildlife (including eagles) along the Canyon of the Colorado River that feeds into the lake. www.vtrc.com

CANYON OF THE EAGLES LODGE & NATURE PARK: 800-977-0081; 16942 RR 2341, Burnet (postal address, but actually much closer to Buchanan Dam). Eagle Eye observatory. Home of Vanishing Texas River Cruise. Conference Center, restaurant, lodging, camping and RV facilities. www.canyonoftheeagles.com; and Highland Lakes Fall Creek Falls at Lake Buchanan

PARKS: See Parks

Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) and state parks in the region. See: Canyon of the Eagles, Black Rock LCRA, Cedar Point LCRA, Inks Lake State Park, and more.

EVENT CALENDAR: See web site shown above.

WEATHER: Weather Underground (Burnet)

MEDIA COVERAGE: Latest News (Topix)
Newspaper:

MAPS: Google, GeoHack

PRINCIPAL BUSINESS: Lake recreation, retirement living

HISTORY: Handbook Of Texas Online: "It was initially the site of a construction camp established to build the first of the major flood-control and power-generation facilities on the Colorado River. The project was originally known as Bluffton Dam for the nearby town of Bluffton, but the name was changed to Hamilton Dam, perhaps because its location had been surveyed in 1926 by an engineer named Hamilton. Some say it was named after G. W. Hamilton, vice president of the Middle West Utility Company of Chicago, a company that represented the Insul interests active in developing electrical power distribution in Texas. The Emery-Peck and Rockwood Development Company undertook the construction of the dam in 1931 and established a post office and a settlement of several hundred workers supported by commercial, medical, and recreational facilities. In 1932 bankruptcy forced the closing of the project. United States Congressman James Paul Buchanan secured federal funds to revive the project in 1934, whereupon the dam, post office, and town were renamed in his honor. The dam was dedicated on October 16, 1937. The town grew steadily as a recreational center, reaching a population of over 1,000 in 1974, when it had numerous businesses. In 1990 the population was 1,099, and in 2000 it had grown to 1,688."