Dallas residents raise concerns over infrastructure safety as a newly discovered sinkhole near White Rock Lake Trail exposes potential issues

DALLAS — When WFAA met Carol Bell-Walton, a Lakewood resident, two years ago, she was raising awareness about erosion at White Rock Lake Trail. She said decades of storms washed away land under Garland Road, leaving parts without support.

“That’s the alternative to the sheet piling,” said Bell-Walton as she pointed to a placement of rocks along the lake. “They should be immobile, but water is still going to seep through there.”

What Bell-Walton didn’t expect was what a jogger posted to Facebook. It was a picture of a sinkhole between the trail and the street.

“That wasn’t on my radar,” said Bell-Walton. “Oh, this just completely rewrites the script.”

She said the hole was 20 feet deep and caused by an abandoned sewer line. “It still shows that there are critical weaknesses in this area due to infrastructure that was put in long, long ago that we don’t even have a clue about,” said Bell-Walton.


WFAA asked the City of Dallas if an abandoned sewer line caused the sinkhole. They did not confirm or deny.

Dallas Water Utilities said in a statement, “A portion of White Rock Lake Trail is temporarily closed while City departments investigate and assess a sinkhole found near the trail in between Garland Road and the trail. The area has been stabilized, but the closure remains in effect while the departments continue to investigate the root cause and to provide time to inspect during and after the rain event. The public is advised to avoid the area and follow all safety signage. An update will be provided on the next steps to reopening the trail when the assessment has been completed.”

“If DWU’s infrastructure has so compromised this area that we’re seeing collapsing, collapsing shafts, then DWU needs to take responsibility to shore this area up,” said Bell-Walton.

For advocates such as Bell-Walton, this just leaves more questions than answers.

“What’s under here that we don’t know about? What’s likely to fail?” asked Bell-Walton.