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5. REFLECTION POINT

Plaza Solana, a stone scenic overlook near the boathouse on the East Lawther side of the lake — situated between the Tokalon and Lakewood Boulevard connections to the trail was phase one of an overarching Reflection Point project.

Plans for the next two phases of Reflection Point include additional seating; improvements to the trail, walkway and landscaping; and construction of a Lakewood Gateway that would connect the neighborhood to the trails and lake. The trail from Reflection Point will eventually connect with the Santa Fe Trail that will run through East Dallas and to Deep Ellum.

The first phase of the project, Plaza Solana was partially funded with private donations, and partially funded by the city’s bond program. Another $1.5 million is needed to complete the project, and no funds are yet allocated for it.

6. DOG PARK

The White Rock Dog Park at Mockingbird and West Lawther was built on a shoestring budget, Winters says. Neighbors love it, but it’s far from user-friendly, especially on rainy days when it tends to flood.

“White Rock Dog Park needs a lot of work. We need to expand the paddocks; add new parking; add more amenities, shade and irrigation; open the park up to the shoreline; clean up that shoreline; and make it more of a visual commodity,” Winters says. The good news is that $800,000 in bond money has been allocated for this project, but another $2 million is needed to make everything happen. One planning meeting has been held regarding the dog park remodel, Winters says, and another is being planned for this month.

7. LIGHTING MASTER PLAN IMPLEMENTATION

After some public debate, the Dallas park board last summer approved a comprehensive plan for lighting at White Rock Lake. The plan calls for extra lighting in certain areas, such as Winfrey Point during events only; and for the trail to be lit in designated spots — near curves, intersections, parking lots, piers and areas with highest potential for traffic and collisions. The estimated cost is $1.8 million. So far $400,000 is allocated for the project, which will cover the first phase that includes limited lighting near the spillway.

8 Furnishings And Signage

The Dallas park department and White Rock Lake Conservancy will work together to improve park furnishings and signage, a roughly $800,000 cost. New signage and furnishings on the west side of the lake will be consistent with the rustic stone theme along the east side of the lake.

9.REFORESTATION

The furnishings and signage project also includes reforestation at a cost of $750,000. So far, no money is allotted for either of these projects, but thanks to help from For the Love of the Lake, reforestation efforts are well underway. In 2006 the nonprofit, along with the park department, established the Celebration Tree Grove, which recognizes folks who donate funds for new trees, or those whom the donors wish to memorialize. The grove, boasting myriad types of trees including cypress, oak, elm, cherry, buckthorn and holly, offers a central area for honoring tree donors, rather than having multiple plaques around the lake and park. This donor-recognition system has since been implemented in parks throughout the city, Winters says.

10. WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS

In the 1940s, swimmers splashed with impunity in the White Rock Lake waters. Today, though the lake is a hub of activity, you’d have to be crazy to actually go in the water. It’s filthy. Aris Tsamis, who has owned Mariner Sails for 15 years, has been lobbying for the city to allow windsurfing on White Rock, and though he came close one time, and even was allowed to hold an exhibition windsurfing event once, Tsamis repeatedly was informed by the city that it was too dangerous. “I finally gave up,” he says.

The push for windsurfing at the lake, though it didn’t pan out, forced the city to take a look at water quality and tack it onto the list of top priorities. According to a plan presented by Winters last December, a series of floating wetlands could serve as a design aesthetic as well as a habitat and water improvement measure. In order for this plan to move forward, Dallas Water Utilities would need to approve it, and an ecological restoration consultant would then help develop the plan. The design alone would cost $400,000.

Now that we’ve nailed down the priorities, the issue of funding remains. Altogether about $21.5 million is needed for the White Rock top 10, and only about $3 million is available. Money comes from two sources, Winters explains bond programs and private funding. When organizations such as For the Love of the Lake, White Rock Conservancy and White Rock Lake Foundation raise money for a project, it can serve as leverage for a higher allocation of funds in the next bond program. Or, a group might turn its fundraising focus toward a project that is partially funded by a bond program. “In the past we have been successful [both] leveraging bond dollars once the private sector has provided a portion of funds, and the other way around,” Winters says.

The 2011 White Rock Lake Centennial event planning has been bumped to the top of the to-do list for some groups such as the White Rock Conservancy. Hopefully, those festivities will serve as an opportunity to help fund the aforementioned projects, organizers say.

“We are in the strategic planning process for what will be a months-long celebration,” says Rachel Fitzgerald, the White Rock Lake Conservancy’s executive director. Councilman Sheffie Kadane has appointed a Centennial Host Committee to plan a series of events during 100 celebratory AprilJune 2011 days. Though specifics have not yet been determined, “there could be rowing and regatta events, races and concerts, to name a few,” Winters says, “but they will be fundraising events, for the most part, that will go toward the top 10.”

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