Water Project At Drought Stricken Texas Lake Could Help Some

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WYLIE (CBS 11 NEWS) - A lot of North Texans know the drill, harsh water restrictions, that for some, only allow outdoor watering twice a month. But a massive project at one of the hardest hit lakes in the region could at least help some.

From the water we drink to the water Wylie's Dwight Bonham uses to wash his SUV, it's all threatened by the ongoing drought, and water officials are looking for ways to help. That's why workers are dredging the bottom of Lake Lavon.

Boater Bonham got a firsthand look at decades of sediment build-up. "There's no contour to the bottom anymore, you know I've used my radar, and it looks like a big giant bowl down there's filled in, can't find the old creek bottoms or anything," he said.

Just as the bottom of the lake has risen with sediment build-up, drought conditions have brought lake levels down. Recent rains have helped a lot, but with summer around the corner, there's no guarantee lake levels won't start falling again dramatically.

That's why Denise Hickey, with the North Texas Municipal Water District, says every water source is important to the growing population, especially Lavon. "Lavon is critical," she explained. "Because it holds all of our water supplies that we treat and then deliver to cities we serve."

In order to deliver that water to the people of North Texas, an intake tower has to draw the water in from deep below the surface where decades of sediment buildup threaten to block the pump. Since the water district can't stop the drought from lowering lake levels in the future, the dredging project will ensure our ability to access water from the bottom of the lake.

"This project will help us the next time we're in drought conditions when our lake levels drop as low as they have in the past," Hickey said.

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