The Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge plans to make repairs to the dike along Champion Lake, located at the end of County Road 417, 11 miles south of Dayton.
Champion Lake Dike has been damaged by floods which washed away portions of the dike at three locations. The repairs include filling in two of the three washed-out areas and leveling the dike crest at 14 feet elevation. One of the washed-out areas will be modified with a new layer of rock and will serve to release water during small floods. Old culverts will be removed and a new pipe installed through the dike to enable the Refuge to control water levels in Champion Lake under normal conditions.
During construction there will be periodic closures or restricted access because large equipment and dump trucks hauling fill material will have to pass through the narrow Refuge entrance area. Closure and restricted access notices will be posted during construction which is expected to begin in spring, 2003. It is anticipated that regular maintenance and upkeep of this 30-year-old dike will ensure that properly managed hunting, fishing, boating and wildlife observation opportunities for the public will continue for many years to come.
Please send any questions or comments about this project to Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge P.O. Box 10015, Liberty Texas, 77575 or call Refuge Manager Stuart Marcus at (936) 336-9786. Comments will be accepted until November 22.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses nearly 540 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
