U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers Reassures Public About Lake Lewisville Dam

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LEWISVILLE (CBSDFW.COM) - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is trying to reassure the public that the Lake Lewisville Dam isn't in any danger to fail.

Officials took reporters and leaders from the cities of Carrollton, Coppell, Little Elm and Lewisville to tour the dam.

Residents there and in other cities downstream were concerned after a news report by another North Texas outlet last weekend sounded alarm bells that the dam is unstable and at a high risk of failure.

The dam was built and designed to prevent massive flooding downstream, and the Corps said it continues to operate properly.

This after the prolonged drought and this spring's heavy rains caused a 160 foot slide on the inner embankment of the Lake Lewisville Dam.

Chief of the Operations Division at the US Army Corps of Engineers Fort Worth District, Tim MacAllister said, "These kinds of slides occur throughout this region of North Texas."

Commander of the Corps, Fort Worth District, Col. Calvin Hudson said they brought in its national dam safety experts to look at it. "They've determined this has not progressed into a manner that would cause the dam to fail."

The Corps said the slide began as cracks atop the dam.

During May and June, the Corps says crews monitored this area everyday, but it opened suddenly June 24.

The Corps said it's spending nearly $6.5 million dollars to fix it to prevent it from ever becoming a threat to the dam.

Repairs begin in January, and should be completed in May. MacAllister said, "It's something we deal with at many of our dams, not only through North Texas, but also throughout the nation."

Because of all the rain this year, Lake Lewisville rose to record levels. That increased seepage in an area on the outer part of the dam, which the Corps has monitored since the 1970's.

A report on how to fix it so that it won't lead to a major problem will be ready in February.

"We wanted to reassure the public we were doing the right thing and that we're here to ensure their safety is our number one priority," according to Col. Hudson.

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