Comments on: Bald Eagles Sighted in the Trinity River Corridor http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/2009/01/21/bald-eagles-sighted-in-the-trinity-river-corridor/ FrontBurner® has been called the best blog in Dallas (repeatedly), a snarky celebration of ignorance, and a daily conversation about Dallas among the editors of D Magazine. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:59:30 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Robert Ehlman http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/2009/01/21/bald-eagles-sighted-in-the-trinity-river-corridor/comment-page-1/#comment-67846 Robert Ehlman Sat, 11 Apr 2009 03:23:41 +0000 http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/?p=18241#comment-67846 Improving and raising the levees is the only smart thing about this whole plan for the Trinity River in Dallas. Environmentally it will be very expensive. The river is filthy and it has been recommended for years that fish caught in it should not be consumed because of numerous toxins. These toxins (PCB's, mercury, lead, etc.) have leached into the soil and will be re-exposed during construction. The amount of trash and debris in the river bottom is enormous and must be removed. In 1982 while living in Hutchins I personally saw the Dallas bomb squad retrieve and detonate about 50 sticks of unstable dynamite from the trees on each side of the Dowdy Ferry Rd bridge that had been dumped and floated down the river during flood stage from Ft. Worth or Dallas. They probably didn't find it all. The 200+ acres of wetland habitat will be a very nice breeding ground for West Nile Virus carrying mosquitoes. Unless the the distance between levees is increased (moved farther away from the river channel) the river will continue to fill the entire river bottom up to the top of the levees during flood stage. Everything built between the levees will then be underwater and covered with debris and mud thus creating major cleanup and maintenance repairs after the water recedes. A new lake, 2nd river channel, and wetlands aren't going to change the elevation of flood waters on the levees in Dallas unless they are built farther apart. Don't be fooled, flood water is not going to pass through Dallas any faster than it does now because of this project. I have seen no provisions in this plan to improve the existing old river channel or levees south of I-20 in Hutchins. Without any improvements south of I-20 nothing will be gained in the amount and speed that flood waters leave the Dallas area. I'm a retired Corps construction inspector and have been directly involved in the repairs, realignments, and upgrades of the levee systems on the Trinity River and its tributaries from Grand Prairie to Ennis since 1981 and I know what I'm talking about. And by the way, where is the Trinity River Authority during all these planning and approval hearings? Improving and raising the levees is the only smart thing about this whole plan for the Trinity River in Dallas. Environmentally it will be very expensive. The river is filthy and it has been recommended for years that fish caught in it should not be consumed because of numerous toxins. These toxins (PCB’s, mercury, lead, etc.) have leached into the soil and will be re-exposed during construction. The amount of trash and debris in the river bottom is enormous and must be removed. In 1982 while living in Hutchins I personally saw the Dallas bomb squad retrieve and detonate about 50 sticks of unstable dynamite from the trees on each side of the Dowdy Ferry Rd bridge that had been dumped and floated down the river during flood stage from Ft. Worth or Dallas. They probably didn’t find it all.
The 200+ acres of wetland habitat will be a very nice breeding ground for West Nile Virus carrying mosquitoes.
Unless the the distance between levees is increased (moved farther away from the river channel) the river will continue to fill the entire river bottom up to the top of the levees during flood stage. Everything built between the levees will then be underwater and covered with debris and mud thus creating major cleanup and maintenance repairs after the water recedes. A new lake, 2nd river channel, and wetlands aren’t going to change the elevation of flood waters on the levees in Dallas unless they are built farther apart. Don’t be fooled, flood water is not going to pass through Dallas any faster than it does now because of this project. I have seen no provisions in this plan to improve the existing old river channel or levees south of I-20 in Hutchins. Without any improvements south of I-20 nothing will be gained in the amount and speed that flood waters leave the Dallas area.
I’m a retired Corps construction inspector and have been directly involved in the repairs, realignments, and upgrades of the levee systems on the Trinity River and its tributaries from Grand Prairie to Ennis since 1981 and I know what I’m talking about. And by the way, where is the Trinity River Authority during all these planning and approval hearings?

]]> By: JackieO http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/2009/01/21/bald-eagles-sighted-in-the-trinity-river-corridor/comment-page-1/#comment-59008 JackieO Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:33:05 +0000 http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/?p=18241#comment-59008 We should build a toll road down there so we can watch the bald eagles at 70MPH in air-conditioned comfort. (The eagles like the exhaust, too. It's like crack to them.) We should build a toll road down there so we can watch the bald eagles at 70MPH in air-conditioned comfort. (The eagles like the exhaust, too. It’s like crack to them.)

]]> By: Dallas expat in MT http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/2009/01/21/bald-eagles-sighted-in-the-trinity-river-corridor/comment-page-1/#comment-58977 Dallas expat in MT Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:24:44 +0000 http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/?p=18241#comment-58977 I'm also a nature nerd. So much so that I've recently moved from Dallas to Missoula, Montana to be closer to nature. However, I think Dallas receives a raw deal in regards to its perception as a concrete sprawl. You can take a late afternoon walk in the Spring at White Rock and see orioles, kingbirds, kingfishers, flycatchers, pelicans, wood ducks, hawks of many varieties, and woodpeckers. To name just a few species. How many major metropolitan areas have urban lakes that hold such variety? I doubt many, if any. I’m also a nature nerd. So much so that I’ve recently moved from Dallas to Missoula, Montana to be closer to nature. However, I think Dallas receives a raw deal in regards to its perception as a concrete sprawl. You can take a late afternoon walk in the Spring at White Rock and see orioles, kingbirds, kingfishers, flycatchers, pelicans, wood ducks, hawks of many varieties, and woodpeckers. To name just a few species. How many major metropolitan areas have urban lakes that hold such variety? I doubt many, if any.

]]> By: 12-21-2012 http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/2009/01/21/bald-eagles-sighted-in-the-trinity-river-corridor/comment-page-1/#comment-58949 12-21-2012 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:13:50 +0000 http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/?p=18241#comment-58949 The eagles are probably on their way to Lake Ray Roberts. The eagles are probably on their way to Lake Ray Roberts.

]]> By: mm http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/2009/01/21/bald-eagles-sighted-in-the-trinity-river-corridor/comment-page-1/#comment-58948 mm Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:13:29 +0000 http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/?p=18241#comment-58948 Good call. Lake Tawakoni sounds a whole lot safer. And I say this as someone who lives downtown and enjoys the urban lifestyle, but good luck renting cabins at I-45 and Loop 12, unless they're surrounded by razor wire and gun turrets. Good call. Lake Tawakoni sounds a whole lot safer.

And I say this as someone who lives downtown and enjoys the urban lifestyle, but good luck renting cabins at I-45 and Loop 12, unless they’re surrounded by razor wire and gun turrets.

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