The rainfall until 1893 was greater than normal, and the lake remained high and overflowed naturally on three or four occasions during that time.
The lake has overflowed its spillway for the first time since 1996, on 28 November 2010, after significant rain fall over the previous 48 hours.
Eventually this lake filled its basin and then overflowed at the lowest point which was at Kirkham.
Records indicate that is only 18 times since independence that lake has overflowed.
In the Flood of 1994, the lake overflowed its banks and the dam itself was underwater at one point.
The east lake would receive most of the incoming river water, and may have overflowed into the west lake.
After a heavy rainfall, they say, the lake overflows into the Highland Village neighborhood.
Another 250 homes were flooded when a lake and a river overflowed their banks.
Because of its source streams being diverted, the last time the lake overflowed was 1878, and today it no longer exists.