- Title: Highland Lakes of Central Texas
- Author: Lower Colorado River Authority
- Date: 1951
- Condition: Excellent - original folds as issued
- Inches: 24 x 18 [Paper]
- Centimeters: 60.96 x 45.72 [Paper]
- Product ID: 308602
The Heart of Central Texas - Land of Opportunity!
This detailed folding travel brochure from 1951 was published by the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) to promote tourism and recreation in the Highland Lakes region of Central Texas. The front and back panels feature colorful maps highlighting the chain of reservoirs created by LCRA’s dams along the Colorado River, including Lake Buchanan, Inks Lake, Lake LBJ, Lake Marble Falls, Lake Travis, and Lake Austin.
Inside, the brochure displays detailed illustrated maps showing roads, lakes, and surrounding attractions. It incorporates photographs and cartoon figures to evoke regional character and recreational opportunities, such as boating, fishing, ranching, and sightseeing. The brochure also includes checklists of local points of interest, scenic landmarks, and prominent civic buildings, along with text panels describing why the Central Texas Playlands and Highland Lakes are popular destinations year-round.
Background on Creator
The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) is a nonprofit public agency established in 1934 by the Texas Legislature to manage the lower Colorado River, primarily in response to devastating cycles of floods and droughts that plagued Central Texas.
LCRA was granted statutory authority over a ten-county area, extending from San Saba to Matagorda, to regulate water use, provide flood control, and generate electricity for rural and urban communities. Its founding was made possible by securing federal funding under the New Deal after earlier dam construction efforts by private companies failed during the Depression.
The authority built a chain of dams creating the Highland Lakes, greatly reducing flood risks, storing water for droughts, and producing hydroelectric power. LCRA became the primary wholesale electricity provider for much of Central Texas, expanding into generation from coal, natural gas, and, more recently, renewables.