Lake Jacksonville (Neches River Basin)
Lake Jacksonville (also known as Buckner Dam) is located about one-half mile southwest of Jacksonville in Cherokee County on Gum Creek, a tributary of the Neches River. The Jacksonville Municipal Water Supply is the controlling authority of the Lake.
The construction of the dam began in February 1956 and was completed in August 1957 and impounded thereafter. The lake's capacity is originally 30,500 acre-feet, and its surface area at 422 feet above mean sea level is originally 1,320 acres. In emergencies the reservoir can be expanded to 46,500 acre-feet with a surface area of 1,760 acres. The lake has a drainage area of thirty four square miles. The lake was originally intended as a water supply for the City of Jacksonville and little consideration was given to any leisure activity or residential development. The soil around Lake Jacksonville is a sandy loam over red clay, and the area is wooded with mixed hardwood and pine trees.