Dallas Water Utilities (DWU) staff regularly perform year-round inspections and maintenance at White Rock Dam. Crews regularly inspect the embankment and spillway for early signs of erosion, debris, or vegetation issues; maintain the concrete spillway structure and its mechanical components; mow and manage vegetation along the embankment to protect its stability; and monitor internal water pressure within the dam through a network of instruments to help confirm it continues performing as designed. The inspections also include — checking the spillway, monitoring water levels, and maintaining the structure that helps manage the lake. It was through this routine work that DWU crews noticed the lake was running lower than expected in early August, prompting a closer look.
DWU staff found that two stoplogs – components that help maintain lake levels – were missing. DWU immediately notified the Dallas Park and Recreation Department of the situation and installed replacement stoplogs the next day. This is not the first instance of stoplogs disappearing prompting DWU to evaluate an alternative stoplog solution to help the spillway perform reliably.
The replacement of the stoplogs addresses part of the drop in water levels, but it won’t bring the lake back to full pool on its own: continued dry weather and hot summer temperatures mean evaporation is currently outpacing the limited rainfall the lake has received. Residents should expect the lake to remain lower than normal until the area sees more significant rain — the same condition affecting lakes across North Texas this summer. There may be possible impacts to recreational activities due to current water levels at the lake.