AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Wildcat Bluff Discovery Center and Ogallala Life Conservation Inc. have partnered together to restore the water in West Amarillo Creek.
Officials with Wildcat Bluff Discovery Center said the creek has been dry since the 1970s after serving as a staple in the community.
“People used to do picnics out there, they brought a dance floor out there for parties, they learned how to swim, they learned how to fish out there, and then it dried up in the 70s,” said Sophia Britto Don Harrington Discovery Center Marketing Coordinator. “It’s been dry ever since then due to a variety of reasons. We’re excited to partner with Ogallala Life to start bringing that water back and keeping it on the property so it can kind of replenish the aquifer.”
Some of the reasons include man-made disturbances, farming, irrigation, and herds of animals, including horses and sheep, according to officials.
If the water is not replenished it could be catastrophic for the surrounding communities. Co-founder of Ogallala Life Conservation Inc. Will Masters shared that with the area being dry land, the primary constraint of biological productivity is access to fresh water.