Lake Vaquero

Lake Vaquero
Lake Vaquero Lake Vaquero
Location	Shawnee County, Kansas
Coordinates	39°00′39″N 95°48′04″W
Lake type	manmade freshwater lake
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	306 acres (124 ha)
Max. depth	approx. 27 ft (8 m)
Surface elevation	1,004 ft (306 m)
Settlements	just southwest of Topeka, Kansas

Lake Vaquero is a private lake located two blocks southwest of Topeka, Kansas, and about three blocks northwest of Lake Sherwood (Kansas). It is a manmade lake contained by a 33 ft (10 m) high dam on its southwest. It is bounded by Indian Hills Road on the east, El Cerrito Drive on the south, Lagito Drive on the west and SW 29th Street on the north. If filled to the dam's brim, the lake would have a 340-acre (1,400,000 m²) capacity. It normally has a 306-acre (1,240,000 m²) capacity.

Lake Vaquero was built in the early 1960s. It has always been a lake and over the years residences have been built around it. Today, it is completely surrounded by houses. Periodically the lake has been dredged, because runoff from nearby construction and fields has resulted in the lake bottom being covered in silt. In 2010, the lake's owners, represented by the Vaquero Lake Club, faced costly upgrades to the dam to increase the safety of persons and property downstream from it.

Being a private lake, Vaquero Lake Club members enjoy boating, fishing and swimming at the beach on Lake Vaquero.