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Throughout history, people have been fascinated by stories of lost cities. Seeing the ruins of a bygone era fills humans with a profound sense of longing, triggering a hunger for knowledge, exploration, and a deeper understanding. For many, this fascination is doubled when the place is underwater.
As it happens, one of the most beautiful lakes in the U.S. state of Texas has its own lost city. Beneath its waves lies the city of Old Bluffton, lost to the land in 1937 at the inauguration of the Buchanan Dam and at the rising of the Colorado River.
Some have even compared it to the fictional lost city of Atlantis, as described in Plato's Timaeus and Critias. However, a more apt comparison is to Ancient Rome's "Sin City" of Pompeii or the Bronze Age Cycladic/Minoan site of Akrotiri, both of which were destroyed by more mundane forces.
Amazingly, in 2011, Old Bluffton rose again out of the lake's tranquil waves. Why did it resurface? And why did it become submerged in the first place?
The Town Beneath The Waves Of Texas
Who would think that the sleepy, cool waters of Lake Buchanan could house a surprising secret? As it happens, this lake is home to an underwater archaeological site with an incredible history.
In 2011, a drought occurred throughout the United States, aptly named the 2011 North American Heat Wave. Parts of the country reached well over 100 degrees consistently over weeks, historical records for heat were quickly demolished in many areas, and water levels dropped. It was during one of these sharp water level drops that Lake Buchanan's shocking secret was revealed.
When the waters receded that summer--the lake's water levels dropped by a whopping 26 feet - a small ghost town was suddenly visible for the first time in decades. Called Old Bluffton, it had sunk beneath the waves of the artificial lake in 1937. As the waters receded, the town of Old Bluffton rose again.
While the town had previously been partially exposed in the past, notably in 1984, it had never been so thoroughly uncovered, and it had never received so much attention before. The ghost town, which sat empty and unused at the bottom of the lake for decades, was suddenly a tourist hub.
How Old Bluffton, Texas, Was Submerged
The story of the submerged town of Bluffton is a surprisingly long one. It all started in 1929, when the stock market suddenly crashed, causing America to fall headlong into a time of economic hardship, job scarcity, sharp class divides between the rich and the poor, and natural disasters (like the Dust Bowl). Today, this period is referred to as "The Great Depression." To bring America out of this time of hardship, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed several solutions.
This set of solutions, known to historians as "The New Deal," introduced significant changes to the American people and government. He passed the Revenue Act of 1935, which imposed a hefty 75% tax on people making over $1 million USD per year (valued in 2025 dollars to be around $23 million USD); he created government agencies like the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Agricultural Adjustment Administration; he sought to rebalance the stock market and prevent instability by signing the Emergency Banking Act.
The New Deal Was A Death Sentence For Old Bluffton
For Old Bluffton, one of these major solutions would cause it to sink beneath the waves of a lake that didn't even exist yet. To jump-start the economy after years of financial hardship, President Roosevelt initiated numerous building projects throughout the country. In centuries and millennia past, great leaders have always known a fundamental truth: in order to secure economic prosperity and cultural relevance, the best thing to do is to build.
One thing Roosevelt had a deep interest in building was dams. The president commissioned the Hoover Dam, Chickamauga Dam, and the Booneville Dam. Local state agencies, including the newly formed Lower Colorado River Authority, sought to capitalize on federal funds dedicated to projects like this and, in turn, commissioned the construction of the Buchanan Dam.
Bluffton Residents Were Told, Not Asked, To Give Everything Up
The residents of Old Bluffton were asked to give up everything—their homes, their ranches, their farms, their town—so that this project could commence. Families were forced to sell, often receiving far less than the properties were worth. Even the local graveyard was going to be submerged; in response, the bodies of loved ones were dug up and reinterred in different locations.
Atlantis was destroyed for its hubris; Bluffton was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, destroyed for a greater purpose. By 1937, the entire town was cleared out. In that year, the rushing waters came—not just from the dam, but from the rising of the Colorado River. Old Bluffton was submerged beneath the waves, where it would remain until 2011.
Old Bluffton Continues To Sink And Re-Emerge Under The Artificial Lake
Between 2011 and 2015, the historic ghost town had several glorious years beneath the hot Texas sun. It stood as a tourist destination and a site for history buffs to frequent. But these golden years were not to last. In 2015, the area received plentiful rainfall, covering the site back up again when the lake rose to 99% capacity.
In recent years, multiple low-rain winters have led to a partial reveal of this eerie ghost town. Today, visitors can see the stumps of trees that were cut down during the construction of the town, as well as leftover parts left to rust. Wells and other ground structures can also be seen, although visitors should take care where they step; not every well hole is immediately obvious.
As for the residents of Old Bluffton from the 1930s, it appears that they managed to do all right for themselves despite the loss of their town. They resettled a mere seven miles away, building the town of Bluffton. Bluffton, Texas, stands to this day. In 2020, the town was reported to have a population of 180 people.
