Grapevine Lake | |
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The reservoir's earthen dam
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Reservoir and its parks
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Location | Denton / Tarrant counties, North Texas, United States |
Coordinates | 32°58′20″N 97°3′24″W / 32.97222°N 97.05667°WCoordinates: 32°58′20″N 97°3′24″W / 32.97222°N 97.05667°W |
Type | Reservoir |
Primary inflows | Denton Creek |
Primary outflows | Denton Creek |
Basin countries | Texas, United States |
Surface area | 7,280 acres (2,950 ha) |
Max. depth | 65 ft (20 m) |
Water volume | 181,100 acre·ft (0.2234 km3) |
Shore length1 | 60 miles (100 km) |
Surface elevation | 535 ft (163 m) |
Settlements | Grapevine, Texas |
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. |
Grapevine Lake is a reservoir located in the North Texas region, approximately 20 mi (32 km) northwest of Dallas and northeast of Fort Worth. It was impounded in 1952 by the US Army Corps of Engineers when they dammed Denton Creek, a tributary of Trinity River.
The reservoir's primary purposes are flood control and to act as a municipal water reservoir, with a secondary function of providing recreation and open space areas. The lake's name comes from the city of Grapevine, Texas, to which the lake is adjacent.
On March 2, 1945, the U.S. Congress approved the River & Harbors Act of 1945 which, among many projects, provided for the construction of Benbrook Lake, Grapevine Lake, Lavon Lake and Ray Roberts Lake, as well as modifications to the existing Garza Dam for the construction of Lewisville Lake. All the projects were for the purposes of both flood control and navigation. These lakes became part of an extensive floodway system that is operated in a coordinated manner to minimize flooding along the Trinity river floodplain.
The Grapevine Dam and Reservoir project, as it was originally known, was initiated in January 1948. Located on Denton Creek, a tributary of the Elm Fork of the Trinity river, the project spans both Tarrant County and Denton County. In this area immediately north of the City of Grapevine, the Corps of Engineers obtained approximately 15,700 acres (63.5 km²) of land and placed easements on another 2,200 acres (8.9 km²) to be flooded by the new reservoir. The project was completed in June 1952, and impounding of water began July 3, 1952.
The dam is a rolled earth-fill type, 28 feet (8.5 m) thick, which spans 12,850 feet (3,920 m). The crest of the dam is located at 588 feet (179 m) above sea level. At the dam, the original creek bed was at 451 feet (137 m), making the dam approximately 137 ft (42 m) tall.