Bachman Lake Dam Rehab
Dallas Water Utilities is rehabilitating the Bachman Lake Dam and Spillway to minimize flood risk, ensure dam safety and meet regulatory requirements.
Construction underway on the Bachman Dam and Spillway
Bachman Dam was originally built in 1901 to supply water for Dallas. Today, it is no longer used for water supply yet serves an important role in mitigating flooding of nearby properties, infrastructure and businesses.
While the dam has only needed minor repairs over its lifetime, larger improvements are required to minimize flood risk and comply with regulations for dam safety. Trail improvements are also needed for public safety and better accessibility.
Lake dredging was completed in Spring 2023 to restore the lake’s depth. Construction on the dam, lake spillways and trail improvements began in December of 2023.
Aerial photograph of Bachman Lake Park and its surrounding area located in Dallas, Texas, taken in 1954.
Haskins, Squire. [Aerial View of Bachman Lake Park and Surrounding Area], photograph, 1954; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1030325/: accessed November 21, 2019), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dallas Municipal Archives.
Project Overview
Learn more about the dam and spillway rehabilitation.
Construction Timeline
View the project’s current schedule for completion.
Contact Us
Questions about the project? Reach out for more info.
Latest News
September eNews
Oct 06, 2025
Construction crews working on the Bachman Lake Dam and Spillway rehabilitation project made tremendous progress this summer. The project is on schedule for completion in early 2026. Here are a few highlights.
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Progress is being made on the new section of the trail along Bachman Lake that is being rebuilt as part of the dam rehabilitation. The concrete base is now complete and will soon be topped with an asphalt jogging surface. The goal is to reopen the trail by early spring.
Se están realizando avances en la nueva sección del sendero a lo largo del Lago Bachman, que se está reconstruyendo como parte de la rehabilitación de la presa. La base de hormigón pronto se cubrirá con una superficie de asfalto para correr. El objetivo es reabrir el sendero a principios de la primavera.
City of Dallas Water Utilities, Friends of Bachman Lake, Bachman Lake Together, Dallas Rowing Club, Dallas Love Field
Construction continues on the lower portion of Bachman Lake Dam’s new spillway. When the spillway is complete, it will carry overflow water from the lake under the new railroad bridge. Construction crews are pouring concrete slabs (first photo) that form the spillway channel while also installing the bridge supports (bottom left photo). At the downstream end, construction crews are placing large boulders to create a natural transition from the spillway’s concrete base to the banks of Bachman Creek (bottom right photo).
Continúan las obras de construcción en la parte inferior del nuevo desagüe de la presa del Lago Bachman. Cuando esté terminado el desagüe, se llevará el exceso de agua del lago por debajo del nuevo puente ferroviario. Los equipos de construcción están colocando losas de hormigón (primera foto) que forman el canal del desagüe, mientras también instalan los soportes del puente (foto abajo a la izquierda). En el extremo aguas abajo, los equipos de construcción están colocando rocas grandes para crear una transición natural entre la base de hormigón del desagüe y las orillas del arroyo Bachman (foto abajo a la derecha).
City of Dallas Water Utilities, Friends of Bachman Lake, Bachman Lake Together, Dallas Rowing Club, Dallas Love Field
The Bachman Lake Dam Project was featured by the Friends of Bachman Lake in their October newsletter. We're excited about the progress of the project and its anticipated completion in early 2026. We appreciate the continued support of our community partners as construction crews continue to work on the project.
El proyecto de la presa del Lago Bachman fue incluido en el boletín de octubrFriends of Bachman Lake Lake. Estamos ilusionados con el avance del proyecto y su finalización prevista para principios de 2026. Agradecemos el continuo apoyo de la comunidad mientras los equipos de construcción siguen trabajando en el proyecto.Our latest newsletter is out!
Find out what's happening with the Bachman Lake dam, trail projects and more ...
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