Lake Alan Henry

Lake Alan Henry is a reservoir situated in the upper Brazos River Basin in the United States. Created by the construction of the John T. Montford Dam in 1993, it is operated and used as a future tertiary water supply by the city of Lubbock, Texas and serves as a recreational spot for the region of West Texas. The surface area of the lake is 2,880 acres (1,170 ha) with a mean depth of 40 ft (12 m). Lake Alan Henry is located 4 mi (6.4 km) east of Justiceburg, Texas, and 45 mi (72 km) south of Lubbock.

In the 1960s, the city of Lubbock moved forward with plans to create another water source for its growing population, and after years of soil studies and engineering research, the current location of the John T. Montford Dam was chosen as the closest and most suitable area for the structure and subsequent reservoir. After an application was approved by the Army Corps of Engineers, design work on the dam began in the 1980s. Construction started in 1991, and after two years, the dam was completed and began operation in 1993. The dam was named in honor of Senator John Thomas Montford for his efforts in legislation concerning the reservoir; likewise, Lake Alan Henry was named for a former mayor of Lubbock.

In 1994, as the reservoir began to fill, a water sampling program was created by Lubbock city officials in order to establish baseline water quality data. Before its water can be officially utilized, it is projected three pumping stations, a new water treatment plant, and 65 mi (105 km) of pipeline are needed to be established in-between Lubbock and Lake Alan Henry. This would have a predicted maximum yield of 23 million gallons of water per day for Lubbock.

Today, the lake is used primarily as a recreational spot for the surrounding areas; fishing, water skiing, hunting, and other outdoor activities (including hiking and camping) are the main draw for visitors to the lake. The Sam Wahl Recreational Area consists of over 580 acres (230 ha).