Following last year’s historic flooding, the Amarillo City Council has approved a $400,000 contract to install water level monitoring equipment, rain gauges, and cameras at eight playa lakes across the city. The decision marks the second phase of efforts to prevent future flooding and improve infrastructure management.
The monitoring systems will be installed at Lawrence, McDonald, Bennett, Tee Anchor, Martin Road, Greenways, Willow Grove, and McCarty lakes. The project aims to address issues exposed during last year’s heavy rainfall, which overwhelmed playa lakes and caused flooding in streets, homes, and businesses due to poorly maintained pumps.
“What we saw is a breakdown in the communication of checks and monitoring with our playa lakes,” said Amarillo Mayor Cole Stanley. “It wasn’t the issue that the playa lakes weren’t deep enough... it was that the pumps hadn’t been maintained and there were no checks and balances. By the time we did flood, it was too late to replace the pump.”
The new equipment will monitor water levels and alert city management to potential problems, allowing for timely maintenance and repairs. Mayor Stanley emphasized the importance of this proactive approach, stating, “The camera system and the monitor on the pumps are going to help us keep track of that... so if we do have an alert or an alarm, we get it fixed before we get a flood.”
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