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Secrets of Lady Bird Lake: Drownings to murders, picturesque reservoir has a murky past

The waterbody is not actually a lake but a reservoir that was created by the opening of Longhorn Dam in 1960

AUSTIN, TEXAS: The Lady Bird Lake in Austin is often referred to as the city’s “front door,” a sort of dramatic dividing line between North and South Austin. The picturesque lake, however, is currently best known as the location of some mysterious drownings, which many allege are actually ruthless killings. While the recent developments have tarnished the public image of the lake, the fact remains that it has been at the center of controversy and tragedy since its early days.

Unlike the name suggests, the waterbody is not actually a lake but a reservoir created by the opening of Longhorn Dam in 1960 to help tame the wild Colorado River, which caused devastating downtown flooding during spring storms before the dam was built. Known as the Town Lake at the time, a massive pesticide spill linked to a former East Austin chemical company killed thousands of its fish within a year. The environmental disaster was reported in the pages of Rachel Carson’s groundbreaking 1962 book on the dangers of DDT, 'The Silent Spring'. 

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Two girls drowned in 1964

The lake again burst into national attention in 1964 when two young girls who were celebrating Mother’s Day with their family drowned while swimming in it. Ollie Rendon was 8 years old when he witnessed his 8- and 11-year-old sisters descend into the lake's depths. “It was heartbreaking. It’s still difficult for me to come to the lake,” Rendon said in a 2018 KVUE interview. 

Tragic deaths led to swimming ban

The deaths of the young girls led to a ban on swimming in Lady Bird Lake - a restriction that is surprisingly still in effect due to the hazardous rocks and stones left over from a history of dam collapses from the days when the Colorado River raged. Liz Johnston, the city’s deputy environmental officer in the Watershed Protection Department, said the ban began after several drownings in the Colorado River and the lake. 

Johnston said that pollution is not the primary reason and would not be a reason even today to prohibit swimming. “There are a lot of urban streams that flow into Lady Bird Lake, and so I can understand why people consider it to be polluted,” Johnston said, according to KXAN. 

Where does the problem lie?

Lady Bird Lake’s contact recreation standards are monitored by the watershed department and state monitor which look at E coli levels. Johnston said the water does meet standards for stand-up paddleboards, kayaks and swimming. But other safety hazards still keep swimming prohibited. Sand and gravel mining operations and floods are some reasons why the river remains off-limits to swimming. Besides, currents from Lower Colorado River Authority water releases create a danger to swimmers. There are also destroyed bridges underwater that could be dangerous. 

Johnston said most of the lake is between 10 to 16 feet deep with some shallower and deeper areas. 

'Swim at your own risk'

Although there are now laws that prohibit dogs from swimming in the lake, Johnston said it is “swim at your own risk” and recommends dogs rinse off after. Harmful algae have been found in the water, which has claimed the lives of some dogs in recent years. “If there’s a lot of algae around, then it’s very possible that there could be toxic algae present,” Johnston said. “Enjoy your time on Lady Bird Lake,” he added, warning, “But…any body of water could have risks associated with it, and so just wash off afterward.”

The name was changed in 2007 to honor the late Claudia Alta 'Lady Bird' Johnson, who had recently died.

A hotspot for murders

The lake has also seen a number of murders, dating as far back as 2008. The recent spree of murders in the area has also led to the speculation that a serial killer is on the loose. Chris Clark, 30, was the latest to be discovered dead in Lady Bird Lake, making him the fourth victim in ten weeks. In that time period, the bodies of Jason John, 30, Clifton Axtell, 40, and Jonathan Honey, 33, were also tracked down in or close to its waters.