White Rock Lake. Photo by Renee Umsted.
Dallas City Council approved raising the contract amount with the firm Freese and Nichols for services related to dredging White Rock Lake by no more than $347,500.
The increase is “to provide engineering design for the detailed design, design development, construction documents, bidding and negotiation, and construction administration” for the project, according to the City Council’s resolution from the Jan. 28 meeting. The change is funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Dallas Park and Recreation. The contract amount is now $1,372,450.
In 2022, the City Council authorized a contract with Freese and Nichols for preliminary design of the dredging project for $952,700. Then during the next year, the contract was increased to $1,024,950, so that the firm could “provide initial report, assessment and proposed solution, including (opinion of probable construction cost) for erosion control at White Rock Lake along the North Garland Road.”
White Rock Lake hasn’t been dredged since 1998. Historically, dredging has occurred about every 20 years, and on average, about 170,000 cubic yards of sediment are deposited in the lake every year. Those who use the lake for boating know that dredging is needed because buildup of sediment creates unsafe water depth.
“For 28 years, sediment and debris have accumulated at the bottom of the lake, negatively impacting the lake’s depth, water quality, and surrounding ecosystem,” District 9 Council member Paula Blackmon said in a statement. “Since its creation in 1911, White Rock Lake has only been dredged four times. Every 20 years, we find ourselves in the same predicament — the City must locate funds for a full lake dredge, demobilizes the dredging infrastructure, and passes the buck to the next generation. This is no longer sustainable. As construction costs continue to rise, we can no longer afford these large-scale one-time projects. We must prioritize innovative and financially conscientious avenues to maintain the health of our most treasured asset.”
The White Rock Lake Dredging Project is also funded through a project partnership agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for preliminary engineering design services. This means the federal government was able to pitch in $2 million for the project, and the City will have to match that contribution by no more than $666,666.67, according to another resolution. Dallas voters also elected for $20 million to be spent on the dredging project in the 2024 bond.
Increasing the professional services contract with Freese and Nichols is a win, according to Blackmon.
“As part of this supplemental agreement, the contractor will identify environmental conditions for a recurring dredge program that would take place every five to seven years — allowing the City to periodically dredge the lake in smaller portions, rather than all at once every couple decades,” she said in her statement. “Not only is this approach more cost-effective, but it shows our commitment to environmental stewardship. With the approval of Item 7, the contractor will begin their design phase in March 2026, with an expected completion date of December 2028.”
Do you have thoughts on the White Rock Lake Dredging Project? Fear not — Blackmon said there will be more chances for your voice to be heard in the future.
