{"id":423110,"date":"2025-12-04T02:23:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T02:23:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/423110\/"},"modified":"2025-12-04T02:23:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T02:23:17","slug":"deformed-dam-prompts-west-fort-worth-lake-to-undergo-repairs-soon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/423110\/","title":{"rendered":"Deformed dam prompts west Fort Worth lake to undergo repairs soon"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A dam at a west Fort Worth lake will undergo repairs early next year to address damage to a portion of the structure.<\/p>\n<p>City staff discovered the bowing \u2014 the bending or curving \u2014 of the headwall at the Luther Lake dam during a May 2024 inspection, city spokesperson Linda Sterne confirmed to the Report in an email. The bowing was caused by the weight and pressure of the soil located between Clayton Road and the headwall.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Sterne said no properties have been damaged or leaks resulted from the deformation of the dam, located in the Ridglea Hills neighborhood.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>However, the structure must be repaired to comply with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tceq.texas.gov\/compliance\/investigation\/damsafetyprog.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">state regulations on dams<\/a> to protect properties and homes located downstream, District 3 City Council member Michael Crain said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"780\" height=\"536\" data-attachment-id=\"320291\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/fortworthreport.org\/image004-7\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fortworthreport.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image004.png?fit=936%2C643&amp;quality=80&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"936,643\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image004\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Fort Worth officials will replace the headwall at the dam between Clayton Road and Luther Lake beginning in February. (Courtesy photo | City of Fort Worth)&lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fortworthreport.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image004.png?fit=300%2C206&amp;quality=80&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fortworthreport.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image004.png?fit=780%2C536&amp;quality=80&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image004.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-320291\"  \/>Fort Worth officials will replace the headwall at the dam between Clayton Road and Luther Lake beginning in February. (Courtesy photo | City of Fort Worth)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is no immediate danger,\u201d said Crain, who represents the neighborhood.<\/p>\n<p>Fort Worth officials have done a \u201cdecent job\u201d maintaining the lake\u2019s infrastructure, said Frank Retzlaff, a Ridglea Hills resident of 12 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The lake, well known among Fort Worth families for its annual Christmas light displays, spans 10 acres of water and borders properties located off Rowan Drive and Brants Lane.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Luther Lake was originally sustained by a natural embankment. It was rebuilt in 1988 after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determined it was unsafe for homes and properties downstream, Retzlaff and lifelong Luther Lake resident Tom Law said.<\/p>\n<p>The new dam \u201csaved\u201d the lake, Retzlaff said.<\/p>\n<p>The properties most at jeopardy were those located off Tamworth and Cumberland roads, Ridglea Hills resident Michael Ziegler said.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"780\" height=\"520\" data-attachment-id=\"320244\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/fortworthreport.org\/lutherlake\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fortworthreport.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1203-LutherLake-01-.jpg?fit=2560%2C1708&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1708\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;(Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS R5 C&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Luther Lake is located in Ridglea Hills and spans 10 acres in the community on Dec. 3, 2025. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\\\/CatchLight Local\\\/Report for America)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1764797275&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;27&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.00125&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;LutherLake&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"LutherLake\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Luther Lake in Ridglea Hills, pictured Dec. 3, spans 10 acres. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America)&lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fortworthreport.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1203-LutherLake-01-.jpg?fit=300%2C200&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fortworthreport.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1203-LutherLake-01-.jpg?fit=780%2C520&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1203-LutherLake-01-.jpg\" alt=\"(Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America)\" class=\"wp-image-320244\"  \/>Luther Lake in Ridglea Hills, pictured Dec. 3, spans 10 acres. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverybody\u2019s glad it got done safely,\u201d Retzlaff said. \u201cEveryone that lives on the lake loves it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fort Worth officials are responsible for the maintenance of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fortworthtexas.gov\/files\/assets\/public\/v\/1\/tpw\/documents\/b9eeb289-8dfd-423f-9623-aa216e7155fc.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">city-owned dams<\/a> including those at Lake Como, Lake Worth, Fosdic Lake, French Lake, Willow Lake, Echo Lake and Greenbriar Lake.<\/p>\n<p>Restoration of the Luther Lake wall will begin in February after residents are notified. Repairs will go on for about eight weeks, Sterne said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>City staff will replace the existing headwall, improve the drainage to prevent future deterioration and restore the area between the sidewalk at Clayton Road and the new headwall once the project is complete.<\/p>\n<p>Construction will require temporary closure of a lane on Clayton Road.<\/p>\n<p>Nearby residents will be informed about updates regarding the dam through neighborhood groups, notices and the city\u2019s website, officials said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at <a href=\"https:\/\/fortworthreport.org\/2025\/12\/03\/deformed-dam-prompts-west-fort-worth-lake-to-undergo-repairs-soon\/mailto:nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy <a href=\"https:\/\/fortworthreport.org\/about\/fort-worth-report-editorial-independence-policy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n<p>Fort Worth Report is <a href=\"https:\/\/fortworthreport.org\/2024\/08\/25\/fort-worth-report-achieves-global-trust-certification-heres-what-it-means-for-our-community\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n<p>Republish This Story<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"license\" rel=\"noreferrer license noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/4.0\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"88\" height=\"31\" alt=\"Creative Commons License\" style=\"border-width:0\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1758084579_646_cc-by-nd-4.0.png\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Republishing is free for noncommercial entities. Commercial entities are prohibited without a licensing agreement. Contact us for details. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A dam at a west Fort Worth lake will undergo repairs early next year to address damage to&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":423111,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5138],"tags":[5229,7371,7372,188429,358,3187,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-423110","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fort-worth","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-fort-worth","10":"tag-fortworth","11":"tag-ridglea-hills","12":"tag-texas","13":"tag-tx","14":"tag-united-states","15":"tag-united-states-of-america","16":"tag-unitedstates","17":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","18":"tag-us","19":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423110","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=423110"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423110\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/423111"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=423110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=423110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=423110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}