[2] The lake is impounded by the Morris Sheppard Dam, which was a project of the Brazos River Authority and the Works Progress Administration.

[3] The construction is unique with buttressed arched wings on either side of the nine spillway gates rather than the usual filled concrete.

[7] The canyon thus formed provided a favorable site for impoundment of the reservoir and accounts for the unusual depth of the lake and the resulting clarity of the water.

There are several stories about the origin of the name Possum Kingdom for this part of the Brazos River valley.

The most accepted version attributes the name to Ike Sablosky who settled in the region in the early twentieth century.

[13] The first week of August 2012 brought more wildfires to the PK vicinity (between the dam & Graford) which were possibly ignited by lightning strikes amid the extremely drought-ridden countryside.

The lake was originally at the level of the cliffs resort which caused the massive C-shaped ridges in the side walls of the shore.