Kevin Cokely

Lake Levels Rise in the Wake of Heavy Rains

Lake levels are rising after this week's rainfall, and both Lake Worth and Lake Bridgeport are now closed.

The water level at Lake Grapevine rose more than three feet in less than a day after the floodgates were closed Thursday night.

Before then, the lake had dropped enough to expose picnic tables not seen since last summer's flooding.

"Now they're underwater again, not even a week later," said Jeremy Spencer, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Many parks and boat ramps at Lake Grapevine remain closed, and even before the most recent storms, Grapevine's Friday Night Fireworks at the lake had been canceled for this summer.

"The real concern was public safety at the lake parks and you know public safety is always the top priority for us," said Leigh Lyons, with the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Organizers do plan to have fireworks at the lake for the Fourth of July and Labor Day, but only if conditions allow.

"We still have the opportunity to have a good summer, people to be able to recreate, boat safely, come out and picnic, have a good time, but again we want them to be able to do that in a safe manner," said Spencer.

But businesses that suffered through Thursday's steady rainfall are worried once again.

"To come in and open up and have no customers, it was a little, it was a little scary," said Jose Garcia, manager at Rockin' S Bar & Grill at Twin Coves Marina, where water once again covers some of the parking lot.

"Everyone's asking what's going to happen, will it stay open and so forth," said Garcia.

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