Denton Record-Chronicle from Denton, Texas • Page 1

GOOD RESULTS AND LOW RATES A RORD A Growing Newspaper For A Growing Area A POSSIBLE SHOWERS I4TH YEAR OF DAILY SERVICE-- NO. DENTON, TEXAS, SUNDAY MORNING, APRIL 28, 1957 if if -k if P'gea In 5 Sections PRICE; 10 CENTS Garza's Level Signals New Denton Outlooli Water Level May Hit 100 Billion Gallons By, midnight tonight, Garza Little Elin and Lake Dallas reservoirs will have stored an estimated JOO billion gallons of water since April 18. At the eame time, Lake Dallas I GOOD ROUTE TO FOLLOW FOR A SUNDAY DRIFE If you plan to drive down to see Garza-Little Elm and Lake Dallas reservoirs today, you can use this convenient map as a guide. The quickest route is over U.S.' Highway 77. If you take this route, you can reach the west end of the Lewisville Dam by turning east where Farm Road 407 meets U.S.

77, about 11 miles from In case of the all-weather roarj to the dam can be reached by driving into Lewisville and then turning back north on Mill St. For a longer sightseeing journey and round trip, you can drive east on State Highway 24, then turn south on Farm Boad following the latter road south'and southeast across the Little Elm arm of Garza reservoir. This road runs into Farm Road 423 (not on map). Follow 423 east and then south to State Highway 121, and then follow 121 west to U.S. 77 at Lewisville.

DENTON INTAKE VALVE 26 FEET UNDER WATER See Picture Page 3 "Why did they build Denlon's water intake structure at that location?" This quesl.ion yon probably have heard many times. The location of Ihe intake structure -seemingly high and dry on me. Hickory Creek channel of the Gar- 7a-Little Elm reservoir has been (lie topic of many jibes since it was completed. The explanation seems simple -now that Garza-Litlle Elm rapidly is filling. The location about half a mile west of the Highway 77 bridge, on the north side of the Hickory Creek channel or arm -was selected because it was considered the most practical anc the most economical.

It was located Ihere on the recommendation of Water Engineers Frecse and Nichols.and approvec by the U. S. Corps of Engineers after exhaustive surveys and stud ies. The pumping station that nor of the intake's mechanism vhich can be seen from the air md from certain locations, on Ihe S. 77 bridge is located on ligli ground.

The elevation is 538 above sea level. But the low ntake pipe is set out into the channel at an elevation of 460 'eel. This means that the City of Denion can slart pumping water from Hie reservoir whenever the level of Ihe lake climbs above 481 feet. The elevation of the intake pipes corresponds to that of Dallas' intake pipes. Neither city can slart drawing water out of Garza-Liflle Elm until the level climbs above 481 reservoir level late Saturday was estimated at 506 or 26 feet above Ihe Denton intake pipe).

515 FEET NORMAL Because' of siltalion, it would be impractical to permit wilhdrs wals below elevation 481, engineer- Lower your car payments row- refinance with Waldrip'i. C-4054 ing studies show. Normal conservation level of Ihe reservoir is 515 eel. The elevation of the pumping station (538) is six feet higher than the spillway crest (532), which will enable Ihe machinery to remain high and dry even when the gigantic reservoir is at flopdstage. From an economical standpoint, the location of (he intake structure was considered advisable at the point nearest Denlon.

Costly piping did not have to be laic so far from the city and Die intake machinery can be reached quick cr for servicing. It is 14 miles from Denton to the Lewisville Dam but only about eight miles from the city limits to the Denton intake structure. By mid-summer, the pipeline wil be completed from the intake structure to Ihc Denton watei treatment plant, city officials am water committee members believe Thus before the hot summer wca Iher sels in, the threat of wale rationing should be eliminated. Grapevine Is Fast Nearing Level Staff Special GRAPEVIN'E-Grapcvine Lake, most of which is in Denlon County, was rapidly filling up Saturday, and officials predicted it would rise to its normal level by Tuesday or Wednesday. Al I p.m.

Saturday the lake level stood at 520.87 feet--just 14.13 teet short of its normal conservation level of 535 feel. And it was still rising. In fact, Denton Creek (which into Grapevine) measured 17 feet at Justin Saturday morning which indicated "lols more walcr on the as Army Engineer officials put it. Grapevine rose 2.17 'feet in a five-hour period Saturday. And it had risen 21.64 feet since Ihe rainy season began on 4P 'l is writing ils finis as the 30-year- old reservoir cascades ils muddy floodwntcrs into Hie giganlic basin known as Garza-Litlle Elm.

With every gallon that plunges over the spillway and through the outlet gates, Lake Dallas and Elm reservoirs arc drawn closer together. When enough water flows into the new reservoir basin, the Lake Dallas dam will be breached and the two lakes will become one. Then Lake Dallas will no longer exisl. Floodwaters of Elm Fork of the Trinity River and its tributaries emptying into Lake Dallas, are riding the crest of the wettest month in Denton County history. A tolal of 11.22 inches of rain lias been recorded at the Dcuton Experiment Station since April I-and the U.S.

Weather Bureau forecast more scattered showers and thundershowers for the greater Denlon area today and Monday. Although the Experiment, Station recorded only 1.79 inches of rain during the steady rains of Friday, most other -sections of Denlon County reported upwards of inches. The Record-Chronicle rain gauge in Downtown Denton measured 3.GO for the second day in succession. OVER 20 INCHES Denton Counly's official precipitation measurement for Ihe year now slands at 20.46 inches--three inches over the tolal for the entire year 1936. Lake Dallas plunged 5.75 feet of water over the spillway late Saturday as the lake level reached 531.75 feet.

Garza-Litlle Elm's level was reported over 505 feet and both reservoirs were still rising. Garza was reported rising about one foot every three hours. The U.S. Army Corps of neers reported from the dislrict office in Fort Worlh that there is enough water now stored in the two lakes a the level would be 516 feet if both pools were equalized. This would more than fill the conservation pools of both servation pool level of 515 feet.

There is a possibility llmt Gavin might emulale the action of Lake Dallas and climb lo spillway level before Ihe floods subside, The spillway cresl is 532 feel. Wilh Ihe five-day weather forecast calling for additional showers, Ihe possibility of Garza creel- ing appears closer, one engineer observed. MOSEY SAVED The Fort Worth district Army Engineers Saturday issued a report on the value of the flood control operations of Garza-Little Elm flooilways at Dallas and Worlh controlled enough and Ihe olhcr major reservations on tlio upper Trinity Watershed, r-'our reservoirs Garza, Grapevine, Lnvon and Benbrook, plus Fort flood waters to slave off losses of $05,000,000 in crop and property damage, the estimates show. Combined cost of constructing all six projects was $68,000,000. Thus, the upper Trinity flood control projecls, working in combination, paid for themselves in controlling one major flood, the engineers pointed out.

SEE FOR YOURSELF Hard To Believe: Lake's Filling Up The Money that slips through jour fingers will pay (he loan that pays your bills. Complete loan service. Industrial Credit Com pany. ever Russeu't. reservoirs.

Conservation level on both bodies of waler is 515 feel. Just another way of pointing out that Garza-Litile Elm--practically dry two months ago--has suddenly "arrived." It now appears certain that Garza-Little Elm will reach ile con- JiV TODAYS PAPER Page Sec. Amusements 5-6 2 Cash word Puzzle 2 Classified 8-S Comics 7 Color Comics 1-8 3 Editorials 4 1 Family Weekly 1-24 4 Recipes 1-16 5 Sports 8-9 1 TV Log Women'i News 24 By TOM KIRKLAND Record-Chronicle Staff Writer I turned on my windshield wipers Friday and drove to the lake. What I saw is 'still difficult to believe. I've lived in Denton for seven years but, like the New Yorker who's not been atop the Empire Slate Building, I've been prone all those years to overlook what I thought was a puddle of waler (Lake Dallas) and a big dry hole (Garza-Little Elm).

changed my mind Friday, for I saw water, water everywhere and what, appeared lo be many drops lo drink this summer. AMONG THE LAST About 100 other Den tonites and I were among Ihe last lo drive across the Lake Dallas Dam over Highway 24. Just Saturday morning the Corps of Engineers closed the old road because of the risk of washouts along the dam. Much of the dam road was coaled with water Friday noon, and Ihe big chugholes ol the old highway were being gouged even deeper into the old asphalt as carloads of sightseers rushcc out to see what was happening to Lake Dallas. They were as evidently stir prised as for I can never re member seeing as much water on both sides of the dam as I sav Friday.

11 was similar to driving across the causeway from Hous ton to Galveston. Around Lewisville Dam on Gar za-Litlle Elm, I was even mori surprised, for Oak Ridge Park ha: been improved far beyond my be lief. ROADS PASSABLE Even though most of the par! roads are not paved, the heavy deluge of the week has not mad the roads impassable. From th observation point at the lake yo can look out and see even mor water flowing rapidly inlo Ihe once dry farmlands. At Lewisville Dam, Ihe crowd arriving in cars seemed to per 1142 P.M., KDST 1440 leale Hie same feeling had nbclief.

We've all read for years I'haL the new reservoir would be when filled wilh walcr, but after many years of no rain, it's ilmost impossible to comprehend low that water abounds. My windshield wipers still click- ng, I returned to Denton. Some- iow the drought seemed ended. Gars Blocked From Roadway On Lake Dam A colorful era in Denton Coun- y's history was ended abruptly Saturday when old Stale Highway 24 atop Lake Dallas Dam was closed to the public. By orders of the- Army Corps of Engineers, blockades vere placed at both north and south approaches to the dam 31 years after the road was opened.

During the last three decades, of thousands of persons have walked or driven over the "dam road." Until new State Highway 24 was completed several years ago, old Highway 24 across tho dam was the main road to Frisco, McKinncy and points east Actually, Highway 24 was relocated about the time Garza- Lillle Elm Reservoir was completed in 1954; Closing of the road over the dam is part of a long- planned operation. The order to close the highway Saturday came as a safety measure, the Corps of See CARS, Page 2 Summer Woes Appear Over; June Use Due By ALLEN BOGAN Record-Chronicle Slatf Writer The full impact of Garza- Little Elm Reservoir's vising floodci-osl, began to hit Den- tonites today. The Cily of Denlon, which a montli ago was starting preliminary studies for waler ralioning again next summer, suddenly has been jarred into the happy realization thnl its water shortage worries are about over. For Denlon now lias an eslimat- ed five and one-half year supply of waler in the A tolal of 21,000 acre feet of Ihc reservoir capacity has been allocated to store water for Denton's municipal and industrial pur- poses. Dcuton already is up to full storage, with an estimated 6,867,000,000 (billion) gallons ready for its use.

Denton usps an average of 3.5 million gallons of water per day, which is equal to 10.7 acre feet per day. City officials and members of the Denlon Citizens Water Committee estimate it will be the latter part of June when the city will bo ready to start pumping water from Garza-Little Elm. BOND ISSUE The reservoir withdrawals to augment the city's well waler supply are part of a long-planned program, initialed after studies were begun in 1948. The plan was given its practical. boost in 1954 when the cili-cns of Denton voted a bond issue in ILe amounl of $1,445,000 to insure ah abundant waler supply for years to come.

The plan, submitted by Frccse and Nichols, consulting water engineers of Fort immediately was set into action following passage of the bond'issue. In December, 1953 (he city had negotiated its contract with the Corps of Engineers which provided for the 21,000 acre feet of storage space. This cost the city approximately $220,000. The intake structure, Just norlh of U.S. Highway 77 at the Hickory Creek bridge, wns completed in 1955 by Whittle Construction Co.

ol Dallas at a cost of approximately $64,500. To transmit the water See GARZA, Page I REMEMBER WHEN A Georgia Slock was an important implement in producing a cotton crop? A DENTON AND VICINITY: a cloudy to cloudy with widely scattered mostly afternoon thundershowers today nncl No I a temperature changes. (Kxperlment Station Report) HlEli Friday 71 l.o«- Saturday 51 llljh Saturday 12 IllKli year ago Low year 72 Sun sets today at 7:06 rises Monday at 5:42 a.m. Fishing: Fftlr. Denton County rainfall for 21- hour period ending at 8 ajn.

Saturday: 1.79 Inches. Denton County rainfall ao far this month: 11.22 Inches. So far this year: 20.46 Inches. This time last year: 3.72 Inches. Schmllr-Floyd-Hamlttt Ambulance C-2214 ud C-4147.

Rtcora-Chronltle Photo By Xormati Bradford With Bill Brooti FLOODING CLEAR CREEK SURROUNDS HIGHWAY 10 On The Denton-to-Pilot Point Road Ktcord-Chnmlcle a note 9f XarrM OVER THE LAKE DALLAS DAM--FIRST TIME IN EIGHT YEARS Water Was Six Feel Deep And 8(111 Rising At Lake Dallas Saturday.