photo by Sam Chapman

Hurst Harbor got hit hard during this year's drought.

Folks had to move the docks and Johnny Fins Floating Bar and Grill to another part of the lake.

Harbor Assistant Manager Roland Adams said just last week, in some parts you could see nothing but grass. Now, that's changed. Recent rains caused the lake to rise to nearly 643 feet. By Wednesday, it could rise nearly another foot.

Hurst Harbor operators say the lake will have to rise quite a bit more before crews can bring the whole marina back. The lake will first have to hit about 670 to 675 feet.

"We're looking at about 645 to 650, we could probably bring our ship store back in, Johnny Fins and the ship store, and get it plugged in," Roland Adams, with Hurst Harbor Marina, said. "It will take some time to get everything back to normal with that situation."

Adams said he is excited about the prospect, as he has had no business since the place dried up over the summer.

The lake will have to get a lot higher, though, before he can bring the whole marina back.

"We're not through the drought yet," Adams said. "We know that, and we don't want to end up moving it in and moving it right back out."

Still, Adams is optimistic.

"It was pretty bleak looking out over the cove for the past month and a half. All it was was just weeds. But now you've got a little water in there and some debris that's washed up into the cove that we have to pick up," Adams said. "We've got our work cut out for us now, getting ready for the next potential rise."