It looks like a giant dried-up mud puddle at the moment, its base dark and dank in places, its now-visible bottom as rough as a croc's hide.
And really, before it was emptied, it wasn't much more than that, a "lake" that had morphed into not much more than a counter spill, the kind you sop up with a paper towel in your kitchen. It was shallow enough a man could walk across it. Its depth had shrunk to 3 feet, but few knew. What lay beneath was a murky mystery.
While everything above the surface and around its shoreline looked as pleasant and park-like as possible, the changes below were becoming unhealthy for living things. Lack of oxygen in the water was taking its toll on plant, wild and aquatic life.
The city stepped in and is now spending close to $1 million to rectify Spring Lake Park's condition. The silt that has piled up will be dredged out. Eight feet of material will be removed. This is a first.
To do this, the fish had to be removed. Some ducks and geese have been relocated. Some that resisted are on their own, but wildlife officials believe they'll be OK.
The lake will be restocked. Ducks and geese will be returned or come back. (Some geese are still hanging out there.) Things will return to normal or better than normal. The shoreline is being reinforced, and a flagstone edge will be installed.
All good.
It will take three or four months to do this, maybe more. These type of projects are hard to estimate. After that, Spring Lake Park will return to its flagship status. But until then, the south end looks less than inviting-which somehow translates to people feeling invited to go explore. Please don't.
The city says there could be sinkholes and other dangers, so take heed. Keep your distance, and view it like a giant field of quicksand. And if you were ever a little guy growing up, you know how dangerous a giant field of quicksand can be.
Contractors are now waiting for the lake bed to dry so they can begin digging.
While we're waiting, this is a good time to review the concept that parks aren't static products. They change and evolve, get rebuilt and reborn. Going back to the early part of the 2oth century, Spring Lake Park was a social center and a source of city water. Think spring.
Dance halls and skating rinks were associated with it, and boats with couples leisurely drifting in the current.
The Four States Fair was there.
There was once a zoo at Spring Lake Park, but it was an expense. Like cities everywhere, Texarkana got out of the animal-care business.
By the time the 1980s rolled in, it was largely a city park with playground equipment and picnic tables surrounding the lake. There were a few ballfields for recreation, and one the Texarkana Bulldogs played on. But truly, nothing all that special. Some of them needed work.
Have you looked around lately? A lot of good things have happened in 30 years. The ballparks from the four-field complex to the north to the softball field in the south have all got facelifts. The Bulldogs' old field was updated for the failed Gunslinger franchise a few years ago. It looks much better, and now the Texarkana Twins are using it. The water tower above has a fairly new paint job with a great positive logo on it.
A dog park and disc golf course are well-used, and a growing system of walking trails ties it all together. Even the playground equipment has gone from dated to really cool and contemporary. A nice stone entrance sign was built at the Interstate 30 access to the grounds.
It's a different park today than it was yesterday, and without doubt, it will be a different park tomorrow.
So go out and gawk at the dried-up lake bed if you must. This all too will pass quickly.
And when it's finished, it will look like not a lot has changed. But it has. And for the better.