NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) – A rainy past few weeks, have washed away the dreams of many North Texans wanting to spend their Memorial Day weekend lakeside, as many lakes around Metroplex are flooded, leaving their nearby parks and campgrounds closed.
“I was planning on being out at the lake all weekend long, and now I suppose I am going to be grilling in the backyard,” said Grand Prairie boater, EJ.
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CBS 11 found one group of friends coming all the way to Joe Pool Lake from Florida, only to find out the water is almost five and a half feet higher than normal.
“I came from Miami for this,” said boater, Andres. “I am very disappointed.”
High lake levels can be seen across the metroplex.
At Lake Lewisville, sidewalks and picnic tables can be seen completely underwater.
“Some parking is going to be limited, some boat ramps are going to be closed, and unfortunately, some camp reservations are probably going to be canceled,” said Nick Wilson, Lake Lewisville’s lead park ranger for the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Lewisville emergency management has temporarily closed lake park.
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Wilson says it could be a few weeks to a month before it reopens, as Lake Lewisville is 4 feet above normal operating conditions.
Other lakes in the area such as Grapevine Lake, is more than 7-and-a-half feet higher than usual.
While Benbrook Lake is more than 10 feet higher than normal.
The manager at Benbrook Lake Marina, Chandler Rogers, says the rain has been overwhelming as most of their parks and campgrounds have closed.
“It just started raining again…hopefully since it didn’t rain that much, the water won’t rise anymore.”
But despite the levels, park rangers know there will be some who decide to take their chances on the water.
They remind you to be extra cautious.
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“Whether it’s a simple picnic table that might be flooded, you are walking around things that are designed to be visual and to be avoided. And now they’re underwater,” Wilson said. “Be careful.”
Original Source: https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2021/05/28/high-lake-levels-change-texans-memorial-day-weekend-plans/
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