Constructed in 1960, the lake is named after the Tawakoni Native American tribe, who used to live in the area. It was built to provide a source of water for the Dallas area, and the park was opened in 2002 under a lease agreement with the Sabine River Authority.[2]
The communal spider web at Lake Tawakoni State Park
The park came to media attention in 2007, because of a giant communal spider web on the premises of the park.[5] The web was mostly the work of thousands of long-jawed orb weavers(Tetragnatha guatemalensis), but other spider species were found to have also joined in.
On January 22, 2009, a fire swept through the park, burning approximately 125 acres (51 ha) of park property.[6]