THE
THE MAN
THE MAN WASN'T HIT AND THE SHOOTER SAYS HE IS A TRAINED
SECURITY CARD AND WAS ONLY
TRYING TO POP THE TIRES.>>> AS
ONE OF THE MOST BELOVED
LANDMARKS IN DALLAS, BACK IN
THE DAY WHITE BLOCK LAKE WAS A
+@
+@ POPULAR SWIMMING START+@ -- SPO
SO WHY WOULD ANYONE SWIMMING
NOW?
NOW?
NOW? >>
NOW? >> Reporter: WHITE ROCK LAKE IS
THE CROWN JEWEL OF DALLAS PARKS.
BIKING, RUNNING, SAILING,
KAYAKING, AND SWIMMING.
SHOULD YOU SWIM IN WHITE ROCK
LAKE?
LAKE?
LAKE? >>
LAKE? >> I WOULD ADVISE AGAINST IT.
>> I WOULDN'T SUGGEST THEY SWIM
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. >>
HERE. >> Reporter: SO SHOULD YOU?
I'M GOING TO VERIFY
JOHN
JOHN YOUNG IS MY PADDLEBOARD GUIDE.
GUIDE.
GUIDE. IS
GUIDE. IS IT LIKELY THAT I'M GOING TO
FALL INTO WHITE ROCK LAKE?>> IT
+@
+@ IS
+@ IS POSSIBLE.
IS POSSIBLE. >> Reporter: FOR THE RECORD
I'VE GOT GOOD BALANCE, BUT IT'S
HOT AND I HAVE DECIDED TO FALL
IN.
IN.
IN. JOHN
IN. JOHN IS SAYING IT'S OKAY TO
+@
JOHN IS SAYING IT'S OKAY TO FALL IN, BUT SWIMMING, THAT IS
AGAINST THE LAW.
>> Reporter: DO YOU THINK
PEOPLE KNO+@W OUCAN'T SWIM HERE?
>> I'D SAY 85% OF PEOPLE DON'T
KNOW.
KNOW.
KNOW. WE
KNOW. WE HAVE TO EDUCATE THEM ON
THAT, IT'S A CITY ORDINANCE.
>> Reporter: NO SWIMN?
WHY IS ATAN ORDINANCE?
BACK IN THE DAY, WHITE ROCK WAS
A S+@UPER POPULAR PLACE +@TO SW
THERE IS A BATHHOUSE THERE AND
A GIANT LAWN FOR SUNBATHERS.+@
AND+@ TO HELP ME FIGURETHIS OUT
I AM DEEP IN THE BASEMENT OF
CITY HALL TO MEET JOHN SLATE.
>> WE ARE PROUD TO TAKE CARE +@
THE HISTORICAL SD OF THE
CITY.
CITY.
CITY. >>
CITY. >> Repr:H SGOING TO
SHOW ME THE HISTORY OF SWIMMING
IN WHITE ROCK.>> THE RECORDS
ARE IN OUR MOLDS.
-- VAULT.
-- VAULT.
-- VAULT. >> Reporter: CAN WE GO INTO THE
VAULT?>>
>>
>> Reporter: YOU SEE THE PICTURES OF SWIMMING IN WHITE
ROCK AND IT WAS DEFINITELY A
RING, RIGHT?>> IT WAS, IT WAS A
+@
+@ BIG
+@ BIG DEAL FOR SWIMMING AN+@D
+@ BOATING IN THE 30s AND 40s AND
INTO THE EARLY 50s.
>> Rep+@orter: WHAT CHANGED?
SLATE IS TELLING ME THERE WAS A
DROUGHT IN THE 50s AND THE CITY
NEEDED MORE WATER.
THIS 1959 CITY ORDINANCE BOOTED
UP THE SWIMMERS DECLARING IT
SHALL BE UNLAWFUL FOR ANY
PERSON TO SCORE +@-+@- SWIM,
DEPOSIT ANY TRASH, URINE,
EXCREMENT OF ANY KIND.
THAT'S GROSS.>> THE CITY HEALTH
OFFICER AT THE TIME, JW BASS
DECLARED THAT WHITE ROCK COULD
NOT BE BOTH.
>> Reporter: THAT IT WAS
UNSANITARY TO HAVE SWIMMERS AND
DRINKING WATER?
DRINKING WATER? IN 1964 DALLAS STOPPED DRYING
WATER FROM THE LAKES THAT THE
LAW IS STILL ON THE BOOKS
ILLEGALLY YOU CANNOT SWIM IN
WHITE ROCK.
WHITE ROCK. BUT, COULD YOU?
LIKE IS IT CLEAN ENOUGH?
I AM WITH WHERE RICHARD GRAYSON
NOW ON WHITE ROCK CREEK WHICH
FEEDS INTO THE LAKE.
YOU NEED 75 VOLUNTEERS WHO TAKE
REGULAR WATER MEASUREMENTS
ACROSS
>>
>> +@SCOOPED SOME WATER IN THER AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF
+@THE CLARITY OF THE WATER, THE
SMELL IT.>> IT'S SLIGHTLY
BROWNISH, BUT I DON'T SMELL
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING. RICHARD SAYS THIS CREEK STARTS
ALL THE WAY UP IN FRISCO AND IT
BRINGS POLLUTION ALL THE WAY
DOWN.>> Reporter: WHAT IS THE
WATER +@QUALITY OF THE WATER TH
IS GOING INTO WHITE ROCK?
>> EXCEPT FOR THE BACTERIA IT
IS GOOD.
IS GOOD.
IS GOOD. LIKE E. COLI.
>> Reporter: SO YOU'RE TELLING
ME FRISCO'S POOP IS IN THIS
CREEK RIGHT NOW?>> PROBABLY SO.
>> Reporter: NOT LIKE POOP
POOP, BUT FERTILIZER RUNOFF AND
ANIM+@AL RACED -- WASTE AND TRA
IN GENERAL.
IN GENERAL. RICHARD'S TEST SHOW THE CREEK
IN THE LAKE ARE HEALTHY FOR
+@
IN THE LAKE ARE HEALTHY FOR FISH AND B+@IRDS BUT IN PLACES
THE WATER HERE IS FIVE TIMES
ABOVE THE LIMIT FOR SAFE
SWIMMING.
SWIMMING.
SWIMMING. IS A LAKE POLLUTED?
>> IT IS IMPAIRED BY BACTERIA.
>> Reporter: STARTING TO REGRET
THAT WHOLE JUMPING IN THE LAKE
THING.
THING.
THING. >>
THING. >> YOU+@ CAN HANDLE IT, YOU WIL
GET THE RUNS AND BE SQUIRTING
FROM BOTH ENDS.>> Reporter:
CAN'T WAIT.
CAN'T WAIT. WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE A LAKE
WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE A LAKE@ THAT SO MANY PEOPLE LOVE, BUT
CAN YOU SWIM IN WHITE ROCK?
NO, IT IS AGAINST THE LAW, AND
EVEN IF IT WERE LEGAL, YOU
SHOULDN'T, BE+@CSEI'KIDOF
SHOULDN'T, BE+@CSEI'KIDOF GROSS.
GROSS.
GROSS. THAT +@IS OUR FAULT.
+@ WE DON'T TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF
OUR LAKES AND STREAMS AND +@SO
THEY ARE NOT GOING TO TAKE CARE
OF US.
OF US.
OF US. WE
OF US. WE CAN'T SWMIN THEM.
GOT SOMETHIN O WANT
VERIFIED?
VERIFIED?
VERIFIED? SEND MAN EMAIL.>> RICHARD
SAYS THAT FALLIGIN WHITE ROCK
LAKE LIKELY WILL NOT