Erosion at Rockwall County dam still being closely monitored
ROCKWALL COUNTY – More boots were on the ground in McLendon-Chisholm on Wednesday, as officials continue to monitor erosion at the town's largest dam.
Worries remain that nearby homeowners are at risk because of potential dam failure.
It's clear the land at the dam continues to move. Now cracks sit at the base of a dam that's estimated to hold about 30 million gallons of water, and it's only feet away from the emergency stake at the top.
On Wednesday morning, the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board held a tri-county meeting where the dam was discussed.
The USDA sent out a state engineer with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to check out the area, but CBS News Texas wasn't allowed to take video of the inspection or talk to the engineer.
City leaders remain nervous.
"Absolutely, we put these stakes out 18 hours ago and you can see the movement, but what they said is this is all surface level," said Paul Day, a council member for McLendon-Chisholm. "If they have movement in the clay, the core, that's when they would be concerned because then it hits the center apex, the core"
Officials feel the core of the dam is safe. Otherwise, they say, they'd see clay and seepage at the top. They also believe the area will stabilize with rain slowing down.
"In all honesty, I do feel better about it," Mayor Bryan McNeal said. "It would literally have to go to the center apex… to two feet past. That's what he instructed today."
For now, city officials have to wait out the storm season and then seek funding to fix any damage, something they say could take years.
"You can't tell water which path to take," McNeal said. "The only thing you can do to battle Mother Nature is pray."