Toledo Bend Reservoir
| Toledo Bend Reservoir | |
|---|---|
| Location | Texas / Louisiana |
| Coordinates | 31°11′47″N 93°34′20″W / 31.1965°N 93.5721°WCoordinates: 31°11′47″N 93°34′20″W / 31.1965°N 93.5721°W |
| Lake type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Sabine River |
| Primary outflows | Sabine River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 65 miles (105 km) |
| Max. width | 10 miles (16 km) |
| Surface area | 185,000 acres (75,000 ha) |
| Average depth | 60 feet (18 m) |
| Max. depth | 110 feet (34 m) |
| Water volume | 4,477,000 acre feet (5.52 km3) |
| Shore length1 | 1,264 miles (2,030 km) |
| Surface elevation | 170 feet (52 m) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Toledo Bend Reservoir is a reservoir on the Sabine River between Texas and Louisiana. The lake has an area of 185,000 acres (749 km²), the largest man-made body of water in (or partially in) Texas, the largest in the South, and the fifth largest (surface acre) in the United States. The dam is capable of generating 92 megawatts of electrical power. The dam itself is located in the northeast corner of Newton County, Texas; however, that county includes very little of the reservoir, as most of it extends northward into parts of Sabine and DeSoto parishes in Louisiana, and Sabine, Shelby, and Panola counties in Texas.
The land along the Orange area often flooded from the Sabine, with destructive effects. Also, the considerations for municipal, industrial, agricultural, and recreational purposes were part of the reasons the Texas State Legislature formed the Sabine River Authority of Texas in 1949, and in 1950 the Louisiana State Legislature created the Sabine River Authority, State of Louisiana for the project.
With both authorities in agreement, in 1955 a feasibility report was initiated and by 1959, the two states allocated 30 million dollars for the project. The land was acquired in 1963, with the work following the subsequent year. The Massman-Johnson Construction Company served as the general contractor, and by the completion of the project in 1969, Texas’ estimated share of the funds was $70 million. The dam was built by the two states, without any assistance from the federal government. Louisiana Director of Public Works Claude Kirkpatrick, who was also president of the Sabine River Authority of Louisiana at the time, pushed for the joint agreement with Texas, in the absence of federal funds, to make the project a reality.
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