You’re Not The Only One Praying For Rain. So Is McDonald Lake In Amarillo.

If you've been wondering when that crater called McDonald Lake is going to get some water back in it, the answer may not be one you want to hear. It sounds like the timing is out of our hands, and is in Mother Nature's instead.

Amarillo's McDonald Lake Was Drained For Repairs

It sounds odd saying that a body of water needed repairs, but that's pretty much what happened. According to a press release from the City of Amarillo:

An intake pump extending into the middle of the lake was buried in silt and debris.

Sounds like a big problem to me, but I'm no expert. The project included cutting the existing pipe, fitting it with a ninety degree elbow, and extending the pipe. The project cost around $110,000.

The Repairs Are Finished, But McDonald Lake Is Still Empty

I've had a slight obsession with McDonald Lake since the repair projects got started some months ago. I always thought it was a nice fixture along Coulter; gave me something to look at while I was at the red light.

Now it looks like a crater created by something that killed the dinosaurs. It won't go back to being the water fixture we all know and love until the sky starts crying.

In the press release from the city, they point out that McDonald Lake is filled with storm water. One of its biggest jobs is to help prevent nearby homes and businesses flooding.

So, no rain? No water in McDonald Lake.

Knowing the Texas panhandle, it could be a while before we see McDonald Lake full again. Then again, it is the Texas panhandle. So anything is possible, at least where the weather's concerned.