Interesting article about Lake Benbrook

http://www.fwweekly.com/content.asp?article=7319

Looks like the water started back up on the 22nd. How much...who knows. See the usgs site

Thanks for posting this link, prime - - very interesting read. The problems the marina owners are facing due to the low water levels are truly disheartening, and I wish the best for both of them. And, after reading the article, my respect for the Corp of Engineers and the City of Benbrook has dropped substantially.

The City of Benbrook continues to act ineptly with respect to the lake. This statement comes from a resident of the city for 25+ years. Here are a few example of their bumbles :
* They hired a consulting firm to develop a plan for potentially upgrading the facilities around the lake, including possible "resort" development NW of the dam. One finding of the study was that development was highly unlikely without a near-constant lake level at or slightly above pool elevation. TRWD also addressed the city council, and the bottom line was that this near-constant lake level was not in the cards (and 10 years of actual lake levels have shown exactly that). So for the article to mention that they are still pursuing developers is puzzling at best.
* This same study was done before the new owners bought Benbrook Marina. The city council expressed the sentiment at the time that they wanted better ownership for the marina, again to improve the facilities and attract business to the lake. Well, they got exactly that and now they turn their back on this business?? And they also neglect the trash issue, which is truly their responsibility, causing even further harm?? If they weren't serious about implementing some of the findings of the study, why did they waste taxpayer money doing the study in the first place??
* I believe one of the options considered in the study was to potentially make use of the old Baja Beach area for a deep water ramp and breakwater, to get around the low water issue. This is the same area where the new Benbrook Marina owners did improvements on their own dollar, only to be shut down by the city.
* And finally a symbolic faux-pas. The city logo is three sailboat sails, a direct promotion of the lake which they are neglecting - - go figure. The FW Weekly article will be a big black eye for the city's promotion of the lake.

And so it goes. Mayor Dittrich, the ball is in your court. Are you going to be a city of "studiers", "commissions", and "councils" or a city of "DOERS" when it comes to improvement of the lake??

OFF SOAPBOX !

Very well said.
-B

I hope the whole world sees this, and quits going to benbrook and spending any money there. What a sad, shameful city leadership!!! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

pathetic !!!!

Good story. Thanks for sharing the link.

too bad for benbrook. that person was correct who wrote about the city's failure to help the problem. i don't think there's another lake in the metroplex which has been neglected like benbrook has.

i sure hope the dredging of the marina goes well. i'm curious to see how it will end up, considering there is quite a stretch of territory to dig up for the marina bed to stay as full as the main body of the lake.

the story does not exaggerate, either. the stumps are really bad with the water so low. be careful if you go out there.

Thats pretty sorry of the city....

I feel sorry for the marina owners, I know Johnny Mack personally and miss being able to fish on a lake not overrun by skiers and pleasure boats.

Bigtexnick, Lake Arlington is the same way. They can keep a little more water in it because it is connected to Cedar Creek by the same pipeline, but they don't. And this lake is owned and operated by the city of arlington. Can't blame the water district, it is all on the city. They have limited the lake access to only homwowners with the big money who can add docks. There is only three places the public can access the lake. One is in a bad part of Ft. Worth and one they shut down. The water is pretty low around the south ramp (Bowman Springs) but with a depth finder you can navigate to the creek. The city frustrates me about the lake and the parks system as a whole.