Lake Ray Roberts (formally Ray Roberts Lake) is an artificial American
reservoir
A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation.
Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...
located north of
Denton, Texas
Denton is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Denton County, Texas, Denton County. With a population of 139,869 as of 2020, it is the List of cities in Texas by population, 20th-most populous city in Texas, the List of Un ...
, between the cities of
Pilot Point, Texas
Pilot Point is a city in Denton County, Texas, United States. Its population was 3,856 at the 2010 census, increasing to 4,381 at the 2020 census.
Geography
Pilot Point is located at (33.396350, –96.958719). According to the United States Ce ...
and
Sanger, Texas. It is filled by a tributary of the
Trinity River.
It was named after
Ray Roberts (a local congressman who supported creation of the lake) in 1980.
The reservoir is located in, and supplies water to,
Cooke,
Grayson, and
Denton counties.
On March 2, 1945, the U.S. Congress approved the River & Harbors Act of 1945 which, among many projects, provided for the construction of Benbrook Lake, Grapevine Lake, Lavon Lake and Ray Roberts Lake, as well as modifications to the existing Garza Dam for the construction of Lewisville Lake. Ray Roberts Dam, an earthen structure high, is owned and operated by the
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wo ...
.
Ray Roberts is also used for recreation and is home to the
Ray Roberts Lake State Park
Ray Roberts Lake State Park is a state park located in Denton County, Texas, near Pilot Point, Texas. The park is . It is very popular due to its proximity to the Dallas–Fort Worth metro area – in 2016, it was the 8th most popular Texas s ...
.
The construction of Lake Ray Roberts resulted in the dissolution of several communities in the surrounding area. One notable community, which surrounded St. James Baptist Church, was given funds to build a new church in the nearby town of Pilot Point.
See also
*
Trinity River Authority
References
External links
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Ray Roberts LakeU.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Corps Lake Gateway – Ray Roberts LakeTexas Parks and Wildlife: Ray Roberts Lake Wildlife Management Area
Reservoirs in Texas
Trinity River (Texas)
Bodies of water of Denton County, Texas
Bodies of water of Cooke County, Texas
Bodies of water of Grayson County, Texas
Dams in Texas
United States Army Corps of Engineers dams
Protected areas of Denton County, Texas
Protected areas of Cooke County, Texas
Protected areas of Grayson County, Texas
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