Dredge, Baby, Dredge: Dallas Moves Forward With White Rock Lake Project

It’s been almost 25 years since crews have cleaned the bed of White Rock Lake, which contains everything from basketballs to cigarette butts — and a whole lot of trash.

District 9 Dallas City Councilwoman Paula Blackmon dressed up as a beaver covered in rubbish at last week’s council meeting and encouraged her colleagues to vote in favor of a $952,700 contract with Freese and Nichols for engineering services to begin the project. 

“This is all the stuff that comes through that beautiful lake that is utilized by almost everyone in the region,” Blackmon said, gesturing to her Santa suit covered in debris. “It’s going through federal and state legislation. We’re going to hopefully get it on the [2024] bond. This is the next phase of preliminary engineering. I hope everyone will join me in, ‘Dredge, baby, dredge.’”

The council unanimously supported the contract, but a lot of work remains to be done. 

Dredging White Rock Lake

The 1,015-acre White Rock Lake was built in 1911 and is recognized as one of the most heavily-used parks in Dallas. 

“What we did [Dec. 14] was the second step in getting a plan together to take to the voters, hopefully for the bond in 2024, as well as our federal and state partners in helping us fund the cleanup,” Blackmon told CandysDirt.com on Tuesday. 

The federal Water Resources Redevelopment Act is traditionally passed every two years to authorize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to engage with municipalities on flood control, navigation, and ecosystem restoration. 

The Texas Legislature convenes in January

“We’re engaging in those conversations and we’ll work that through the legislative session and see what comes out, because you know the state’s going to have a huge surplus,” Blackmon said. “We’re hoping that infrastructure dollars will flow our way.”

The lake was dredged in 1937, 1955, 1974, and 1998. The White Rock Lake Task Force was formed in 1997 to advocate for projects like dredging. At press time, we had not heard back from task force chairman Ted Ellis. 

“In a manmade lake, you have to dredge it; it fills up with silt,” Blackmon said. “You have to keep it at a level where it’s safe and it doesn’t become a bog or a swamp.” 

A feasibility study found that the entire White Rock Lake dredging project could cost between $50 million and $80 million, the council member added. 

“What we’re trying to do is create a program where we don’t have to do this every 20 to 30 years,” she said. “We can put it in our maintenance budget and do a little bit every year. We’re trying to create a sustainability program.” 

Lake Life

Residents who live near White Rock Lake benefit from the dredging project because it improves the quality of life and provides a tourist attraction in East Dallas. 

“We found that, during the two years of COVID, people wanted open space and they haven’t stopped wanting that,” Blackmon said. “They still want connections to White Rock Lake from their neighborhoods. They want trails. What we’re seeing is these trails are now becoming roadways. They’re not necessarily for recreation, and White Rock Lake is a hub for that. We’ve got to keep the water clean and healthy. It’s an important part of the whole equation at White Rock Lake.”

Thirty-six green homes are under construction in the new Lake Highlands Goose at White Rock Valley neighborhood in the mid-$700,000 price range. 

As new council district boundaries take effect next year, Councilwoman Blackmon emphasized that White Rock Lake is a regional park that serves the entire city. Each council district will now serve about 91,000 residents, and District 9 is moving west toward U.S. 75. 

The engineering work approved last week will result in a 30 percent conceptual design for dredging work that might not be complete until 2028, so the council that approved it is not necessarily the same panel that gets to see the fruits of the labor. 

“I’m happy that my colleagues do see the value of this park, that it’s becoming a regional asset,” Blackmon said. “It’s not just East Dallas-centric because of all the trail connections that are coming in, rowing clubs, sailing, and open space. It’s nice that my colleagues see the value of investing in a program and projects like this.”