Buchanan Dam, TX

Buchanan Dam is a Llano County census-designated place that wraps around the west and south shores of Lake Buchanan and reaches the south and west shores of downstream Inks Lake. The 2020 census counted 1,508 residents. The Colorado River is the unifying thread: Buchanan Dam holds back Lake Buchanan, then the water runs into Inks Lake through the Highland Lakes chain. The dam itself is a local landmark and is described as the world's largest multi-arch dam. Life here is organized around water, roads, and the small service network along State Highway 29.

The Lake Buchanan/Inks Lake Visitor Center offers maps and an overlook of the dam, while Inks Lake State Park provides trails, boat access, and shoreline recreation. The shoreline is the local front door for daily errands and recreation. Burnet Consolidated Independent School District serves the community. Buchanan Dam is a lake-country address with two reservoirs in its footprint, a highway through the middle, and Burnet and Llano supplying larger county services.