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The Colorado River Project, primarily a flood-control project, consists of Marshall Ford Dam and Reservoir on the Colorado River 13 miles northwest of Austin, Texas. The project does not include Marshall Ford Powerplants, which was constructed and being operated by the Lower Colorado River Authority, a State Agency. The reservoir, locally known as Lake Travis, stores water for controlling floods, for irrigation, power development, and for improving navigation by regulating the streamflow. Unit descriptions and facilities Completed in 1942, the dam has a concrete gravity section across the Colorado River, flanked on both ends by earth embankments. The concrete section has a structural height of 278 feet, is 2,423 feet long, and contains 1,774,351 cubic yards of concrete. The earth sections have a combined length of 2,663 feet, and contain 1,614,649 cubic yards of earth, rock, and gravel fill. The ungated ogee weir crest spillway is a part of the concrete dam and has an effective length of 700 feet at elevation 714. The outlet works has a total capacity of 126,000 cubic feet per second at water surface elevation 714, the top of the flood control pool. Operating Agency The project is operated and maintained by the Lower Colorado River Authority of Texas. History The earliest attempt made by settlers in the Colorado River Basin of Texas to conserve the high runoff of the Colorado River was the construction of the Austin Dam and Powerplants. Completed by the city of Austin in 1893, the dam provided storage water for irrigation, hydroelectric power development, and flood control. After 7 years of operation, the dam was destroyed by flood. It was rebuilt and suffered similar damage in 1915, and again in 1935. The Lower Colorado River Authority completed rehabilitation of the Austin Dam on April 6, 1940. Investigations On November 13, 1934, the Texas State Legislature authorized the organization of the Lower Colorado River Authority for the purpose of completing Hamilton Dam and constructing additional dams along the river to provide irrigation, flood control, and power benefits. The Authority applied to the Federal Government for funds. Under the terms of the Emergency Relief Appropriations Act of 1935, the President approved an allotment of $15 million to the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works for power and irrigation purposes. At the same time, he approved the allocation of $5 million to the Bureau of Reclamation for constructing the flood control features of the project. Investigation of the project was made by the Bureau of Reclamation and reported February 12, 1935. A detailed report by the Board of Engineers was submitted October 29, 1935. Authorization The construction of Marshall Ford Dam was authorized by section 3 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of August 26, 1937 (50 Stat. 850). Construction Construction of the dam began on February 19, 1937, and was completed in May 1942. The benefits result from the construction of a series of dams on the Colorado River, the key structure being Marshall Ford Dam. Irrigation The project enables stored water to be released as needed for irrigation in the coastal plains below Austin. Releases during the growing season are scheduled to coincide with peak electric energy requirements. Flood Control The facilities will reduce to a minimum a flood equal in size to any of record occurring above Marshall Ford Dam. Lake Travis has 783,184 acre feet of capacity assigned to flood control. The Colorado River Project has provided an accumulated $276,975,000 in flood control benefits from 1950 to 1999.
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