City, TxDOT Engineers Working On Lawrence Lake Plan

According to the City of Amarillo Public Works Department, it plans to work in-step with the Texas Department of Transportation to identify different ways to pump the flood water from Lawrence Lake.

One plan is to use above-ground pumps at the Playa lake to help bring water levels to below 100 percent. Much of the flooding in the Paramount/Olsen area – even that being experienced on Georgia south of the Canyon Expressway – can be attributed to Lawrence Lake.

Director of Public Works, Donny Hooper says the high horsepower pumps will make shorter work of bringing the water level down and that engineers from the City and TxDOT are devising ways to do that. However, this may come with some interruptions as pipe will need to be laid above ground and may hinder traffic; not excluding Interstate and off-ramp.

Hooper will be leaving his position next week to take on a new role with the City of Austin.

Assistant City Manager, Floyd Hartman, said at the special meeting of the City Council this afternoon that city engineers have been asked to stop utilizing the system of pumping water from one Playa lake to another moving forward.