Dredging Progress

Did you know that Dallas Water Utilities’ dredging contractor Renda Environmental has removed more than 38,000 cubic yards of sediment from the bottom of Bachman Lake since February? That could fill nearly 88 Southwest planes flying out of neighboring Love Field!

Believe it or not, sediment isn’t the only thing that’s been removed from the bottom of the lake. The contractor has removed 780 tons of debris. The debris was mostly large tree branches washed into the lake during storms, but they also came across bundles of wire, tires, trash, and an e-bike. The largest item pulled from the lake was actually an SUV! Anyone missing their car?

The hardworking team operating the dredger and dewatering site consists of 20 employees who are out there nearly every day, maintaining and cleaning the dewatering and barge equipment. When dredging started, one of the biggest issues they faced was clogs in the cutterhead from plastic bags, which would bind up the equipment and require them to stop and clean it. That’s just one more reason we should all help prevent and pick-up litter. If you want to help keep Bachman Lake and Park clean, volunteer with the Dallas Park and Recreation Department. For more details visit dallasparks.org.

Dredging will continue over the next several months. Stay tuned for another dredging update before the end of the year, and be sure to follow Marisol the Mallard for more frequent updates on social media at @bachmanlakedam.

PUBLIC SAFETY UPDATE: Dredging activity is ongoing at Bachman Lake. To ensure safety, no boating is permitted on any portion of the lake from sunset until 8 a.m. each day. Boaters may only use the lake after 8 a.m. for the safety of everyone. Boaters must always stay at least 75 feet away from the barge and at least 25 feet away from the dredging pipe.