Overview

Baylor Lake, also known as Baylor Creek Reservoir, is located 9 miles outside the city of Childress, Texas in Childress County. Baylor Lake is a tributary of the Red River and lies adjacent to Lake Childress. A rolled-earth damming of Baylor Lake was created for recreational use and municipal water supply and is owned by the City of Childress.
Photo from Childress Angler's and Sportsman Club Facebook Page. Courtesy of Criddle Scott.

Sources:
https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/recreational/lakes/baylor/
https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/rob04/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Childress-Anglers-Sportsman-Club/111239098939782/

History

The dam was authorized by The Texas Water Commission (Certificate of Adjudication No. 02-522). Construction began April of 1949 and commenced approximately a year later in February of 1950. The dam measures at 3,383 feet long and 66 feet high above the creek bed. The dam controls a drainage area of 40 square miles and the reservoir can store 9,220 acre-feet of water that encompasses a surface area of 610 acres. The maximum depth of the lake is 50 feet with a low average of 15 feet. The dam features one uncontrolled spillway and a second, emergence spillway that includes an earth-fuse plug designed to wash away during a flooding event.

Baylor Lake has served as a sports fishing waterway although drought conditions have restricted fishermen from boating since 2008. Water levels in the reservoir started declining in 2000 due to drought conditions and has remained low since 2011. There are two ramps for lake access; one North and one South of the dam. The lake houses limited vegetation such as pondweed and flooded timber. The dam and lower lake shores feature rip-rap and boulders while the upper lake features lake cliffs and drop-offs.

Sources:
http://www.twdb.texas.gov/surfacewater/rivers/reservoirs/baylor/index.asp/
2015 Fisheries Management Survey Report https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/lake_survey/pwd_rp_t3200_1246_2015.pdf/

Statistics

  • Primary Purposes: Water Storage
  • Location: Childress County, Texas
  • Construction Dates: 1949-1950
  • Lake Area: 610 acres
  • Lake Capacity: 9,220 acre-feet
  • Full Elevation: 1,820 mean sea level (msl)
  • Maximum Depth: 50 ft
  • Average Depth: 15 ft
Dam Statistics
  • Dam Dimensions: 66 feet high , 3,383 feet long
  • Spillway Elevation: 1,820 feet above msl