Smithville Lake
Encyclopedia
Smithville Lake is a 7190 acres (29 km²) reservoir
on the Little Platte branch of the Platte River (Missouri)
near Smithville, Missouri
.
The lake was built and is administered by the Kansas City office of the United States Army Corps of Engineers
(which includes all of Missouri and Kansas as well as small portions of Nebraska and Iowa). According to its website the lake is 10th in size of the corp lakes in the district but third in terms of shoreline.
It provides the water supply for Smithville, Missouri
and Plattsburg, Missouri
. Kansas City, Missouri
has reserved a portion for its water supply.
It has 5000 acres (20 km²) of public land and 175 miles (282 km) of shoreline.
The lake was authorized in 1965. Construction began in 1972 with the dam being completed in 1977. Impoundment began in 1979.
The Jerry L. Litton Visitor Center by the dam tells the history of the area as well as has memorabilia about the Congressman who died in a plane crash on election night after winning the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in 1976.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
on the Little Platte branch of the Platte River (Missouri)
Platte River (Missouri)
The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, about long, in southwestern Iowa and northwestern Missouri in the United States. It is sometimes known as the Little Platte River to distinguish it from the larger Platte River, also a tributary of the Missouri, in nearby Nebraska; the Platte...
near Smithville, Missouri
Smithville, Missouri
Smithville is a city in Clay and Platte counties in the U.S. state of Missouri, along the Little Platte River. The population was 5,514 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Smithville is located at , primarily in Clay County....
.
The lake was built and is administered by the Kansas City office of the United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
(which includes all of Missouri and Kansas as well as small portions of Nebraska and Iowa). According to its website the lake is 10th in size of the corp lakes in the district but third in terms of shoreline.
It provides the water supply for Smithville, Missouri
Smithville, Missouri
Smithville is a city in Clay and Platte counties in the U.S. state of Missouri, along the Little Platte River. The population was 5,514 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Smithville is located at , primarily in Clay County....
and Plattsburg, Missouri
Plattsburg, Missouri
Plattsburg is a city in Clinton County, Missouri, along the Little Platte River. The population was 2,354 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Clinton County.- History :...
. Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
has reserved a portion for its water supply.
It has 5000 acres (20 km²) of public land and 175 miles (282 km) of shoreline.
The lake was authorized in 1965. Construction began in 1972 with the dam being completed in 1977. Impoundment began in 1979.
The Jerry L. Litton Visitor Center by the dam tells the history of the area as well as has memorabilia about the Congressman who died in a plane crash on election night after winning the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in 1976.