Repairs to Flooded Parks to Cost Dallas Millions

Repairs to flooded parks in North Texas will cost millions of dollars, including at least $2.6 million in Dallas alone.

Two golf courses and many other Dallas parks remain flooded but receding water elsewhere has already revealed expensive problems.

"This is very unusual to receive this type of amount of water in such a short period of time, and so many parks experiencing these conditions with so much flooding," said assistant Dallas parks director John Jenkins.

For instance, at the Stevens Park Golf Course, raging Coombs Creek wrecked retaining walls, damaged the irrigation system and caused serious erosion.

At the Fair Oaks Tennis Complex, White Rock Creek damaged fences and left trails filthy.

At the Money Gram Soccer Complex near Stemmons Freeway, Walnut Hill Lane was still flooded Friday, so paying customers could not get in.

"The revenue is part of our budget," Jenkins said.

The Luna Vista and Highland Glens Golf Courses are also still flooded and off limits to players. Officials are anxious to open all the parks again.

"I can certainly understand that, and of course we contribute as much as we can," Stevens Park golfer Keith Ausborne said Friday. "We get out as often as we can."

With other public courses still closed, Stevens Park is booked solid with players anxious to get back in the swing after so much rainy weather.

"It was a lot nicer than it's been," Ausborne said about the course Friday.

Parks and golf courses are built in flood zones because not much else can be done with that land.

Jenkins said Dallas expects some park flooding and keeps maintenance staff on the payroll. But this flood was extreme and the city does not have insurance for such costs.

"We're going to have to identify savings to offset the expenses from flood damage," he said.

Jenkins said expenses could rise to $3 million once all the flood water recedes and all the damage is revealed.