Longhorn Dam, at the eastern end of Lady Bird Lake, is a good vantage point for understanding Austin's relationship with the Colorado River. The Highland Lakes — a chain of seven reservoirs created by damming the Colorado between 1937 and 1951 — transformed Austin from a flood-prone river town into a city with reliable water supply and recreational lakes. Lady Bird Lake is the lowest and most urban of these reservoirs, and Longhorn Dam marks its eastern boundary.
The lower Colorado River below Longhorn Dam is a favourite spot for kayaking and fishing, and the riparian corridor here — less developed than the Lady Bird Lake area — has good bird watching in the cedar-elm woodland along the banks. The dam itself is not architecturally notable, but the views upriver toward the Austin skyline from the east side give a different perspective on the city.