Varying lake levels impact recreation safety

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District
Published April 28, 2022
Lake Water Level Varies. Watch for Obstructions.

Lake Water Level Varies. Watch for Obstructions.

FORT WORTH, Texas – The Fort Worth District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials announced today that unseen and below the lake surface hazards are now closer than before.

Due to drought conditions local lake levels are declining.  As the water level draws down, new hazards emerge. Boating and other recreation activities on or near the shoreline should include a renewed sense of awareness to emerging danger. 

Manmade and natural hazards that were far below the surface of the water are now out of or near the surface. A good example of a natural hazard is a sandbar near what is known as Lawson’s Point on Belton Lake. The sandbar that was five feet below the surface, and easily passible, is now one foot below the surface creating an obstacle for most vessels.

Summer is almost here and that means millions of Americans will be planning visits to our nation’s lakes and rivers. As the steward of many of these public waters, USACE reminds visitors to be aware of the importance of practicing safe, sensible, and thoughtful activities in and around the water. Water safety information is available at https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Recreation/National-Water-Safety_Program/.

Tragically, several people lose their lives while visiting USACE lands and waters every year. The majority of the tragedies are water-related. The public’s help is needed to reduce the number of fatalities at the more than 2,800 USACE-managed recreation areas nationwide. USACE personnel stress the importance of water safety year-round when talking with visitors, but especially during the summer season because that is when most public recreation fatalities occur.

Current Fort Worth District lake levels may be reviewed at https://www.swf-wc.usace.army.mil/cgi-bin/rcshtml.pl?page=Reports&report=fish or by visiting a specific lake’s home page at https://www.swf.usace.army.mil/About/Lakes-and-Recreation-Information/.

USACE cautions boaters to be aware of the varying lake levels and reminds them to keep an eye out for newly emerged obstacles such as sand bars and tree stumps.

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Visit the Fort Worth District Web site at: www.swf.usace.army.mil and social media at: https://about.me/usacefortworth


Contact
Clay Church
817-886-1314
Clayton.A.Church@usace.army.mil
819 Taylor Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Release no. 22-009