Belton Lake is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Leon River in the Brazos River basin, 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Belton, Texas, United States. The lake extends into both Bell County and Coryell County. Belton Dam and the lake are both managed by the Fort Worth District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The reservoir was officially impounded in 1954, and serves to provide flood control and drinking water for Belton, Temple, and the surrounding communities. Belton Lake is a popular recreational destination.
| Belton Lake | |
|---|---|
 Belton Dam and the lake | |
  Belton Lake  Belton Lake | |
| Location | Bell and Coryell counties, 5 mi (8 km) northwest of Belton, Texas |
| Coordinates | 31°06′31″N 97°28′21″W / 31.10861°N 97.47250°W |
| Type | Flood control reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Leon River |
| Primary outflows | Leon River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 12,385 acres (50.12 km2) |
| Max. depth | 124 ft (38 m) |
| Water volume | 435,000 acre⋅ft (0.537 km3) |
| Surface elevation | 594 ft (181 m) |
Belton Lake overflowed the spillway in 1991–1992 with the occurrence of two closely spaced 50 year floods. The area immediately below the spillway was heavily damaged by the floods. It was rebuilt and reconstituted as the Miller Springs Nature Center on October 26, 1993. It is run by the Miller Springs Alliance, a non profit group of volunteers and has nearly 11 miles of hiking and biking trails passing through upland, prairie, canyon and riparian habitats.
Fish populations
editBelton Lake has been stocked with species of fish intended to improve the utility of the reservoir for recreational fishing. Fish present in Belton Lake include largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Striped Bass, Catfish, Bluegills, and Minnows.
Recreational uses
editIn addition to maintaining the dam that creates the reservoir, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains recreational facilities at the lake, including Live Oak Ridge Park, Cedar Ridge Park, Winkler Park, White Flint Park, and Westcliff Park. Under the auspices of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers the Miller Springs Alliance oversees the Miller Springs Nature Center located adjacent to Belton Dam. Boating and fishing are very popular. The Girl Scouts' Camp Kachina is on the shores of the lake.
Murders of Todd and Stacie Bagley
editIn 1999, Christian Youth Ministers Todd and Stacie Bagley were car-jacked by a gang and driven to the lake recreation area where they were both shot in the head and their vehicle set on fire. Two gang members convicted of the murders were executed in 2020.[1]
References
edit- ^ writer, Katelyn Robertson | Herald staff (24 September 2018). "Killeen men's appeal in 1999 murder case denied". The Killeen Daily Herald.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
External links
edit- Official Belton Lake web site
- Belton Lake - Texas Parks & Wildlife
- Belton Lake from the Handbook of Texas Online
 | This article about a location in Bell County, Texas is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article about a location in Coryell County, Texas is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |