City and federal leaders are keeping a close eye on the North Texas lakes after recent rainfall has left them swollen. NBC 5’s Tahera Rahman takes a look at the concerns and what’s being done to curb flood risks.
After recent intense rain events, North Texas lakes are filled almost to the brim.
“All the levels are up when we look at them kind of regionally," said Philip Swift, Fort Worth City Marshal.
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WATCH HERE"When we’ve had so many back-to-back, there’s just nowhere for the water to go anymore; so, it doesn’t get absorbed into the ground, so it ends up running into lakes."
On Monday, Lake Worth had risen to 595,08 feet above sea level-- less than half a foot from potentially becoming dangerous.
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SIGN UP "We start running into issues with docks flooding and property damage and things of that nature. So, at that point, we’ll close the lake until we can get that water level down," Swift said.
He said the last time that happened was a couple of times in 2022, and they're hoping they won't have to do it again this year.
Since Monday, Lake Worth's lake levels have crept down.
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“We need a couple of more really consistent, heavy days of rain and a good-sized release from upstream in order to make that a concern," Swift said.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) said they are closely monitoring all lakes in the metroplex. They said there is a lot of water flowing through the Trinity River right now and into the Gulf of Mexico.
The agency said the flood and dam system is not overwhelmed and is functioning as intended and designed.
However, the agency said there are still areas where a large amount of rain might require pumps to help mitigate the flood risk to urban areas.
They said they've seen similar rain events, but it's an atypical wet season. For now, many neighbors are soaking in the extra water.
“I’m glad to hear it; I hope that means it’ll stay that way," said Debra Ellis, a standup paddle-boarder.
Ellis tries to paddle board every day, year-round, with her puppy, Tucker, in tow.
“Last summer, at Shady Grove Park, their boat ramp was shut off completely. There was a huge sandbar, probably 50 feet across. You couldn’t get from where the boat ramp was out into the lake. It was shut down, and the water got really low," she said.
Hector Martinez said he usually can't get his boat out on Benbrook Lake.
“Usually, by this time, all the boats have to come out and take them home in the docks area," he said.
On Wednesday, he was launching his boat for the third time over the last month.
“Got to enjoy the water, the high rise of the lake for now. It’s not easy to get the boat in usually at this time of year, since it’s heat. But since it’s raining, the water’s high, and the boat goes in real nice," Martinez said.
The USACE said people could enjoy the high waters but should be careful. Floodwaters can push debris and wildlife out.
