Hey Dallas - You're still downstream (Part 2)

In the past few months (years, but who's counting?) we've tried to let Dallas in on the secret.  But since we're from Fort Worth, they didn't want to hear it.

The Dallas Observer wrote (writes) about that embarrassing Dallas Trinity River Tollway boondoggle repeatedly. Don't worry, we can call it that, we have one of our own, which is sort of the point. 

And this summer, we tried to warn you again - Psst Hey Dallas, You're still Downstream.

Alas, it took a Dallas Morning News article to highlight part of the issue Dallas is facing and in doing so, they lit up Facebook.  People actually read it and are questioning the stupidity of letting a dam in a major metropolitan area fail. 

You know Durango had something to say about it.  And you know you want to know what is was.  

Here's the deal, look at a map of the metroplex, starting at the confluence of the Clear Fork and the West Fork of the Trinity River in downtown Fort Worth.  Follow that through all the twists and turns, past Mary's Kelleher's farm, (that floods) through Arlington (that floods) all the way to Dallas.  Now what's this river that joins it right before downtown? The Elm Fork of the Trinity River.  Now follow that back up the map and tell us where it comes from. 

Lake Lewisville? You get an A+. 

Now imagine what happens when to doesn't stop raining?  After the Trinity River Vision, Panther Island Boondoggle takes place in Fort Worth.  The one that removes the levees and reroutes the river.  (Right now we're just building millions of dollars worth of bridges over dry land and spending a million dollars on art from outside of Texas, but hey, anything can happen, right?) The water comes barreling toward Dallas and Heaven forbid, the Lewisville Dam bursts, sending a deluge down to the same low point.  What happens then?

The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers are directed by Congress on which projects to work on.  Who is "Congress"?  Look up "Who Represents Me?" and you'll find out who is making these decisions for you.  Maybe you should give them a call. 

What happens when politicians know many lives are in danger and they do nothing? 

A Dallas Observer article from earlier this year sums it up -

In other words, no matter how you read the news article and whether you agree with it or disagree, it should at least convince you that major urban floods have a lot more to do with decisions made by people than acts of God.