Watercrest Park pond dredging in Lake Highlands to finish in November

The dredging of the pond within Watercrest Park at the Lake Highlands Town Center is expected to finish in November after the city’s construction services contract for the project was increased.

Dallas City Council voted to increase its contract with Energy Resources Inc., the company dredging the pond, during its April 12 meeting. The council initially entered a contract with the company in March 2022, and the dredging began in November.

During the April 12 meeting, the contract expense was increased from about $2.8 million to about $3.3 million. Funding for the project came from the city’s 2017 bond fund and the Skillman Corridor Tax Increment Financing District fund.

The 7-acre pond has accumulated “significant” sediment since its construction in 2009. Its average depth was initially 6 feet but has been reduced to about 1-2 feet due to the sediment, according to council documents.

Energy Resources is expected to dredge about 42,600 cubic yards of sediment to restore the pond to a depth of 9 feet in its southern portion, according to council documents. In the northern portion, only “a light dredge of 1.5 feet” will be required to preserve the pond’s natural habitat.

Since the construction contract was initially established, Energy Resources identified additional work needed to establish a new access route to the pond, plus more clearing and plant root removal. City staff worked with Energy Resources Inc. to identify a new access route to the pond that would not disrupt the community at the Lake Highlands Town Center.