Austin Wood
Audio By Carbonatix
A portion of the White Rock Trail is closed again due to a sinkhole that opened late last week.
Joggers and cyclists’ routes were blocked over the weekend after the park department closed parts of the trail near White Rock Spillway. Staff closed the trail after a sinkhole formed Friday, according to a statement from Dallas Water Utilities Director Sarah Standifer.
On Sunday, the trail had reopened, and the sinkhole appeared to be covered after DWU’s efforts to “grout the pipe in this area, compact and backfill” over the weekend. That was until shortly after 4 p.m. Monday, when Dallas Park and Recreation announced it was closing the trail again at the request of DWU, a department spokesperson said. The sinkhole, located next to the trail itself near the intersection of Garland Road and San Rafael Way, is blocked by heavy traffic barriers.
In a publicly posted email from Dallas Park and Recreation Assistant Director Cameron Loos, Loos estimated the sinkhole is four feet in diameter and 20 to 40 feet deep, widening toward the bottom.
“Although the barriers cover 1/3 of the trail, my concern is with more rain and trail users this weekend, something more catastrophic could happen. I’ve recommended to divert all traffic off and around the trail until fixed.” Loos wrote in the email.
The email also states that DWU representatives have indicated an abandoned sewer line is at least partially responsible for the sinkhole. Residents are being told to avoid the area and follow signage.
Erosion of the shoreline adjacent to Garland Road has been a concern since 2024, when a consultant’s report found that 1,100 feet of shoreline was at risk without intervention. However, Michael Jung, who represents the White Rock area on the Park and Recreation Board, said that the sinkhole appears unrelated.
“It’s hard at this point to tie the sinkhole to the ongoing erosion problem, because it’s right at the site where DWU did some work the last few years,” he said.
DWU, which is responsible for the lake itself and the spillway, has rerouted utilities through the area in recent years. Starting in early 2025, a city-contracted company installed 1,700 feet of 30-inch-diameter wastewater mains along Garland Road and surrounding streets. The project was a continuation of an earlier, nearly $25 million project that stalled due to issues with a general contractor.
In a statement, a spokesperson for DWU said the cause remains under investigation. DWU will also monitor the impact of the rainstorms expected through Wednesday in the area. Information on the trail’s reopening will be provided after the assessment is completed.
The area has experienced structural issues after heavy precipitation in the past. In 2006, retaining walls on both sides of the spillway failed following torrential rains, leading the city to spend over $16 million on upgrades and repairs in 2008.
A project to install a metal sheet lining protecting against erosion along the trail is currently in the design phase, with the completion timeline is still up in the air, Jung said.
It also remains unclear where the estimated $2.5 million needed for the lining will come from. Jung said DWU and the parks department are negotiating how to fund the project. The stretch of shoreline adjacent to the sinkhole was listed as of ‘minimal’ concern in the consultant’s report, which is why he cast doubt that erosion was to blame.
“Even though the sinkhole is not a sign of imminent collapse, the erosion problem is a serious problem, which, if not dealt with, will eventually lead to collapses,” Jung said.
