Rain Delay: Wet weather slows work at Spring Lake

A Canada goose takes a bath Tuesday at Spring Lake Park. The city of Texarkana, Texas, recently drained the body of water and has attempted to relocate the geese and ducks to begin dredging. The unseasonable rain Texarkana received over the last week filled a good portion of the pond. There were close to 100 waterfowl in and around the pond on Tuesday. The five-day forecast calls for a slight chance of rain today through Thursday, spiking to an 80 percent chance of thunderstorms on Thursday. High temperatures should be in the mid- to upper 80s.
A Canada goose takes a bath Tuesday at Spring Lake Park. The city of Texarkana, Texas, recently drained the body of water and has attempted to relocate the geese and ducks to begin dredging. The unseasonable rain Texarkana received over the last week filled a good portion of the pond. There were close to 100 waterfowl in and around the pond on Tuesday. The five-day forecast calls for a slight chance of rain today through Thursday, spiking to an 80 percent chance of thunderstorms on Thursday. High temperatures should be in the mid- to upper 80s.

The large amount of precipitation Texarkana has received over the past few days didn't just fill the streets and ditches, it also filled the partially dredged Spring Lake.
That water is now being pumped out, according to Robby Robertson, director of the parks and recreation department for the city of Texarkana, Texas. "The project will be set back a few days, but the plans haven't changed to dredge the lake. They're going to pump it out, let it dry, and start back again."
The work at Spring Lake Park is being done by Tatum Excavating Co. of Texarkana, which put in the winning bid to dredge silt from the bottomand deepen the lake from 3 feet to 10 feet. The work, funded through the city's Capital Improvement Plan, is expected to take three to four months. Robertson said re-pumping the pond will not increase the price of the project.
Passers-by may also notice the geese and ducks remaining in the park. Robertson said Little's Critter, the local animal control contractor they hired to move the animals to Karrh Park and Grady T. Wallace Park, has not completed the job yet. Last month, the parks and recreation staff identified 25 to 30 birds to relocate under Texas Parks and Wildlife Department guidelines.
"It takes a long time to move them and he captures them when he can," Robertson said, adding that some will not be moved because they are wildlife and will be able to move on their own.

 

Upcoming Events