Rowers practice at White Rock Lake on Friday, June 26, 2020 in Dallas. (Ryan Michalesko/The Dallas Morning News)
Ryan Michalesko/Dallas Morning News
For years, White Rock Lake’s boathouse has served youth rowers, college athletes and community programs.
Now, it has become the center of a growing dispute between residents who say the city has failed to enforce accountability and nonprofit leaders who are suing the city of Dallas and argue they are being targeted despite decades of investment in the facility.
The dispute centers on White Rock Boathouse, Inc., the nonprofit operator of rowing facilities at White Rock Lake, including the larger city-owned boathouse, the historic Boomerang facility and the Filter Building.
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A new resident campaign and website, White Rock Lake Accountability, comes as Dallas faces pressure over proposed parks budget cuts of $14 million that could reduce recreation services citywide, slash dozens of jobs and shut down four community centers.
Related: Dallas park board pushes back on proposed rec center closures, service reductions
Paula Miltenberger, one of the voices behind the campaign who became involved after her sons participated in rowing programs, said the proposed cuts prompted questions about whether the city is fully enforcing agreements tied to revenue-generating facilities.
“We have an amazing city asset generating money, but we can’t get enforcement of a contract, but we’re quickly willing to cut all these programs for our kids,” said Miltenberger.
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Sue Ellen Chambers, board chair of White Rock Boathouse, said it’s not the nonprofit’s fault the city is facing a budget deficit, nor is it the role of a nonprofit to solve that with its revenue. She said the group does its part by running the programs, maintaining the buildings and paying the city revenue from events at the Filter Building.
“Every single dollar that was spent to renovate the Filter Building and to build the boathouse was privately raised, and the city didn’t pay a dime, and they still don’t,” said Chambers.
Pending litigation
The dispute over the operation of the rowing facilities has simmered for years. The conflict escalated last fall when White Rock Boathouse sued the city after disagreements over contract renewals and increased scrutiny from park officials.
The lawsuit centers on whether White Rock Boathouse properly renewed agreements that allow it to operate the boathouse, Filter Building and Boomerang facilities on city-owned property. The nonprofit is seeking a court declaration that those contracts remain valid through 2036.
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Court records show the case is moving forward, with hearings scheduled this summer and a trial set for November. The city has challenged portions of the lawsuit and has scheduled hearings on procedural issues, including a plea to the jurisdiction.
Dallas Park and Recreation Department officials and council member Paula Blackmon, whose district includes White Rock Lake, declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
Online campaign
While the case moves through the courts, coalition members said they launched the website to raise public awareness after years of frustration with what they describe as city inaction.
“The tipping point to me is we’re trying to work on equity and access, and the city just seems to have its hands tied, and it’s hard to understand why,” said Miltenberger.
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Tamber Johnson, a former rowing parent and former boathouse captain, said she first became involved in 2010 after her daughter joined a youth rowing program at White Rock Lake. Johnson said parents initially viewed the rowing organization as a growing nonprofit serving students and families.
But over time, she said, concerns grew about governance and transparency.
“It became clear to us that the board was always sort of the sticking point,” Johnson said. “The board was not doing things in the spirit of their agreement with the city.”
Johnson argued the organization has lacked sufficient board turnover and transparency. She also accused the organization of operating more like a private club than a nonprofit serving the public.
The coalition’s website cites open records requests, meeting minutes and city documents that members say show longstanding concerns about access restrictions, financial oversight and compliance with city agreements.
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The coalition says more than 200 people have sent letters to Dallas City Council members supporting greater oversight and enforcement. They are pushing for three things: enforcement of existing contracts, greater transparency and broader public access to facilities operating on city-owned land.
Johnson said they want more opportunities for Dallas residents, particularly young people from underserved communities, to participate in rowing programs.
Revenue disputes
Chambers, the nonprofit board president, said the website contains misinformation. She said the facilities were built and maintained with private funds and the organization provides public access and community programs.
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The nonprofit said it bears responsibility for maintaining the facilities it operates at White Rock Lake, including the Filter Building and the adjacent Boomerang structure. Board members described a constant cycle of repairs, including fixing leaks and clearing debris after storms.
The nonprofit argues it absorbs much of the cost of maintaining the facilities while also returning a portion – 10% gross – of rental revenue to the city.
The organization also disputed revenue figures cited on the website and said its payments to the city have been misrepresented.
According to the nonprofit, it paid nearly $24,000 to the city in 2024 and more than $28,000 in 2025 through its agreements related to the Filter Building and Boomerang operations.
Chambers said critics incorrectly compared total rowing revenue to payments made under a separate contract provision tied to the Boomerang facility. She also said revenue generated by the organization is reinvested into facility maintenance, equipment, scholarships, insurance and program operations.
Internal Revenue Service filings show White Rock Boathouse reported between $1.2 million and $1.3 million in annual revenue in recent years, with expenses generally matching or exceeding revenue.
Chambers said the boathouse, Filter Building and related facilities are valuable properties that others would like to operate.
“At the end of the day, it is all about the asset,” Chambers said. “Every single bit of this is about someone wanting to take the asset and give it to someone else.”
Both sides say they are trying to protect a community resource.
The courts will decide the contract dispute, but broader questions about public access, oversight and the future of White Rock Lake’s rowing facilities remain unresolved.