Journey Through Our Waterways

You may be familiar with the water cycle and how water continuously moves from the ground to the atmosphere and back to the ground in a never-ending process. For example, one water droplet can start in a cloud and make its way to Earth as a snowflake or raindrop. It will then evaporate into the atmosphere, rejoin a cloud and continue this cycle.

The oversimplified example above is just one path that water can take through the water cycle. However, most water particles have many more steps on Earth before returning to the atmosphere. Below, we’re walking through one of the paths a water particle can take through Valley Ranch.

Step One: It rains!

A drop of water may first enter Valley Ranch as part of the 22 inches of rain we’ve received this year. Because of the unpredictability of North Texas weather, these inches of rain come sporadically, with some months receiving multiple inches of rain, while other months receive none.

Step Two: Into the Canal

After entering Valley Ranch, the water droplet might flow into the road or down a grassy hill and end up joining the five and a half miles of waterways throughout our community.

Step Three: Through the Pump Station

From the canal, the water droplet might flow through our pump station. When it rains and the water levels throughout the canals rise, we activate the pumps to pull water from our canals and into the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. At this point, the water droplet will enter the Elm Fork.

Step Four: The Trinity River

Once in the Elm Fork, the water droplet may travel to various parts of the river, including joining the main portion of the Trinity River, located north of Irving. The entire river is 710 miles long, making it the longest river contained within a single state!

Step Five: Evaporation

As the sun heats the river, the water droplet will likely evaporate and rise into the air, to return to the atmosphere and start the cycle over again.

The IFCD 3 team takes pride in our ability to protect the community and contribute to the water cycle. To learn more about IFCD 3 and our mission to deliver flood control to Valley Ranch, explore the rest of our website, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.