FORT WORTH, Texas – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fort Worth District flood risk management reservoirs are operating as designed and intended, and we are confident that they will continue to do so. That includes the Lewisville Lake Dam.
“Life safety is our main priority within the Army Corps of Engineers,” said Col. Calvin Hudson II, commander, Fort Worth District. “Our Dam Safety Program seeks to ensure that Corps-managed and operated dams present minimized risks to life, property, and the environment. Dams are designed and built to reduce flood risk, but they cannot eliminate all risk.”
While Lewisville Dam has some known dam safety issues, it is not at risk of failure. All Army Corps of Engineers dams have gone through an assessment, through the Corps’ Dam Safety Program, and the Corps has identified short term fixes (called Interim Risk Reduction Measures) and long term fixes (through a Dam Safety Modification Study). The Fort Worth District has communicated this information to the public and to stakeholders through news releases, briefings, and public meetings on a continual basis.
This study at the Lewisville Dam will provide a solution to known seepage with potential for piping issues that were first identified by the Corps during the assessment in July 2005. We need to address these issues for the best possible solutions for rehabilitation. Lewisville is a well-designed and constructed dam, and it has been performing as designed. We're taking the necessary actions to make sure it continues in that mode.
Earlier this year, during the flood event in the May/June timeframe, many dams were put on a heightened monitoring status. At Lewisville Lake, the district’s hourly surveillance team spotted a 161-foot-long slide on the upstream face of the embankment.
A $6.4 million contract has been awarded to repair the slide. The work is scheduled to begin on Jan. 4 and is scheduled for completion in May 2016.
“The reconstructed embankment will be protected by stone riprap on the upstream side and Bermuda grass sod on the downstream side,” said Project Manager Mike Kingston. “As part of this effort, removal and replacement of a portion of the asphalt roadway and subgrade layers along the embankment crest will be required."
The six Upper Trinity River Basin Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex flood risk management reservoirs – Benbrook, Grapevine, Joe Pool, Lavon, Lewisville, and Ray Roberts Lakes--continue to capture flood water and then allow discharge of the water when safe to do so. Recent rain events over and since the Thanksgiving time period have resulted in the six lakes holding water in their flood pools. As of today the percentage of flood pool occupied is 59 percent for Benbrook and Joe Pool Lakes, 60 percent for Grapevine Lake, 80 percent for Lavon Lake, 69 percent for Lewisville Lake and 71 percent for Ray Roberts Lake.
These high pool levels have caused some damages to roads, recreational facilities and associated maintenance to the electrical and plumbing operations. High pool levels may also cause serious environmental impacts at many of the lakes.
The district’s other 19 flood risk management reservoirs on the Red River, Brazos River, Colorado River, Trinity River and Guadalupe River Basins continue to operate as designed.
For additional information about our lake operations, please call the Fort Worth District’s Public Affairs Office at 817-886-1306.
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About the Fort Worth District: The Fort Worth District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was established in 1950. The District is responsible for water resources development in two-thirds of Texas, and design and construction at military installations in Texas and parts of Louisiana and New Mexico. Visit the Fort Worth District Web site at: www.swf.usace.army.mil and SWF Face book at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Worth-District-US-Army-Corps-of-Engineers/188083711219308
Press Conference: Fort Worth District Operations Division Chief, subject matter experts and Lake Staff will be available at the Lewisville Lake Office on Wednesday, Dec. 16 at 10 a.m. to discuss the current operations at the Lewisville Lake Dam. The Lewisville Lake Office is located at 1801 N. Mill St., Lewisville, Texas 75057.