WFAA-TV

Boaters are pleased with rising lake levels.

COLLIN COUNTY — Back in August, some folks said Lavon Lake would never return to its normal level.

But the recent barrage of thunderstorms has brought a deluge of happiness at Lavon Lake, now just one foot shy of its optimal level.

The ducks are back at what was a dried-out lake bottom a few months ago. The water skiers are out again practicing their skills. Even the blue heron is happy after making his catch of the day.

But perhaps no one is happier than the people at Collin Park Marina.

The drought forced them to move their boat slips to the middle of the lake, which was a problem in itself.

"You could drive across it, walk across it, anything you want," said Terry Hill. "The whole time you're out there, you're having lots of damage. Every time there's a storm, boats get torn up. It's just a continuous problem."

The nearby Anchor Bar Marina did not move into deeper water, and paid a heavy price.

"There was no water," said boat owner Pennie Durst. "All this back here was completely dry."

Durst and others are ecstatic about the rise of Lavon. She's looking forward to a summer of boating and fishing, the first one in years. But she's not ready to start running her sprinklers every day, either.

"This is the only water we're going to get to live by, so we need to keep it," she said.

Nature works in mysterious ways. We've seen fish jumping up in the same place that was bone dry just a few months ago.

The rising waters are also good for the bait shops and other stores around the lake, which expect to see a rise in the number of fishing licenses they sell, too.

E-mail sstoler@wfaa.com