Parkdale Lake
The Largest Park Dedication in Dallas Since 1937:
Oncor Donates Parkdale Lake to the City of Dallas for The LOOP
Connecting Neighborhoods Throughout Our City
Parkdale Lake and the surrounding 110 acres is an area of untapped beauty that most people living in the city have never experienced. This new greenspace will allow Dallas residents to not only safely walk and bike in an area of natural beauty, but will also create a connection point between neighborhoods and the rest of Dallas.
Parkdale Lake is the largest parkland dedication in Dallas since 1937. The result of a joint effort between Oncor Electric Delivery, the City of Dallas and the Circuit Trail Conservancy (CTC), the nonprofit completing The LOOP, a 50 mile walk and bike trail connecting north, south, east and west Dallas. A critical piece of The LOOP is the Trinity Forest Spine Trail, a nine mile connection from White Rock Lake to the Great Trinity Forest. With this donation, the Circuit Trail Conservancy can complete the Trinity Forest Spine Trail, and The LOOP, in its entirety, bringing together neighborhoods that have long been disconnected and make walkable, bikeable green space a strong part of Dallas’ identity.
The Parkdale Lake Land Acquisition
In 2020, Oncor began the process of donating Parkdale Lake and the surrounding land west of White Rock Creek to the City of Dallas for the Circuit Trail Conservancy to use to address flooding, and to the Park and Recreation Department for use as future park land to serve the community.
The North Phase of the Trinity Forest Spine Trail will be completed in two phases. The first phase, which broke ground in July, extends from just below the White Rock Lake spillway to Samuell Road; the second phase will extend to the Lawnview DART Station in the Parkdale/Lawnview neighborhood of southeast Dallas. The southern phase will extend from Scyene Road to Pemberton Hill Road, passing through Roosevelt Heights, down to U.S. 175, with construction expected to begin in 2022.
Most of the Trinity Forest Spine Trail lies within the White Rock Creek floodplain, so it requires hydrological mitigation — landscape features that interrupt the flow of runoff to rivers. Parkdale Lake is a key addition to the plan because of the important role it will play in managing runoff and preventing flooding. Any plans or programming for the remainder of the property will depend on community input.
“We know there is an infrastructure disparity between North and South Dallas that has left neighborhoods — like Parkdale — without dedicated, safe pedestrian connections to surrounding neighborhoods or the rest of Dallas. Completing The LOOP is a step in the right direction toward connecting and uniting Dallas. Parkdale is less than five miles from White Rock and because of this land donation, and public funding from the City of Dallas, County of Dallas and privately raised CTC funds,, these neighborhoods will now be connected.”
– Philip Hiatt Haigh
Parkdale Through the Years
The area surrounding Parkdale was largely agricultural in the 1930’s, with open spaces primed for farming. There was no lake on the site at this time.
Photos from the early 1940’s show the area continued to be active agricultural property consisting of plowed fields bisected by White Rock Creek, surrounded by a forested corridor. Adjacent properties were also comprised of agricultural fields, residential developments and a golf course. A railroad was depicted to the north, oriented east-to-west, with a spur abutting the western boundary of the site.
The Parkdale Steam Electric Station was built during the early 1950’s, and was in operation from 1953-2005.
From historical photos, this is the first time we see the lake appear in this area. Parkdale Lake, located in Southeast Dallas along White Rock Creek, was built in 1953 as a water storage site for the Parkdale Steam Electric Station (PSES). In an emergency situation, if White Rock Creek didn’t have enough water flowing to cool the plant, then water would be drawn from the reservoir to cool the plant. Since being built, the lake was luckily never needed for emergency water. Between 1950 and 1969, U.S. steam electric generating plants were mostly constructed to be once- through cooling systems. PSES was operational from approximately 1953 to 2005 utilizing natural gas and No. 5 fuel. Although recirculating cooling systems were being constructed during the time frame of the PSES construction, the recirculating cooling systems were less than half the amount of once-through systems. Interviews with persons knowledgeable about the site and the PSES, indicated that the system contained water from wells located near the cooling towers. After cooling and appropriate treatment, PSES’ used water was discharged into Forney Creek.
The USGS Topographic Map dated 1957-1958 first depicted Parkdale Lake on the site and the powerplant on the adjacent property. The Texas and New Orleans Railroad was also first visible on this map, on the western border of the site.
Photos of the site now show Parkdale Lake, the channelization of White Rock Creek, adjacent to Parkdale Lake, and a ponded section of White Rock Creek, north of the roadway access to Parkdale Lake.
On site, Parkdale Lake and northeast access roads were present. Agricultural fields were no longer present. A pump electrical house is present on the southern portion. White Rock Creek was to the east of the site.
The site and surrounding area continued to be used as an active power generation site.
Water from White Rock Creek is actively pumped into Parkdale Lake to maintain water level.
TXU Corp. announces that the Parkdale Steam Electric Station will close.
Until 2005, the site continued to be used for industrial purposes. The Parkdale Steam Electric Station was decommissioned in 2005 and the cooling towers were removed over the next few years. Areas that were once used for agricultural purposes are now forested.
The land remained vacant. The water level of Parkdale Lake is maintained by rain and groundwater.
Parkdale Lake and the surrounding land was transferred from Luminat to Oncor on December 31, 2009. Oncor has owned the land since that time, and the land has largely sat unused.
The last remaining boiler of Parkdale Electric Station was demolished.
The Circuit Trail Conservancy, and then Park and Recreation Department Director Willis Winters, approached Oncor about donating the lake and land as it is critical to deliver the Trinity Forest Spine Trail and The LOOP.
Oncor begins the process of donating Parkdale Lake and the surrounding land west of White Rock Creek to the City of Dallas for the Circuit Trail Conservancy to use as a flood mitigation source, and to the Park and Recreation Department for use as future park land to serve the community.
Parkdale Lake is located in Southeast Dallas along White Rock Creek. Parkdale Lake was built in 1953 as a water storage site for the Parkdale Steam Electric Station which was decommissioned in 2005. Prior to that, the area was farmland in the 1930s and was abandoned in the early 1950s because of flooding. Oncor Electric Delivery has owned Parkdale Lake and surrounding land totaling 280 acres since 2010.
In 2019, the Circuit Trail Conservancy, and then Park and Recreation Department Director Willis Winters, approached Oncor about donating the lake and land as it is critical to deliver the Trinity Forest Spine Trail and The LOOP.
The LOOP will unite Dallas with a city-wide bike and pedestrian active transportation system that joins 39 miles of existing trails in Dallas with 11 miles of newly built trails. A catalyst for economic and physical mobility, The LOOP will be a lifeline between Dallas communities — connecting people to public transportation, walkable green space and one another. When complete, The LOOP will connect Dallas neighborhoods and destinations in north, south, east and west Dallas. As Dallas continues to grow and attract new businesses and residents, investing in a state-of-the-art transportation system that connects neighborhoods throughout the city is one of the most important investments Dallas can make for our residents for generations to come.