Playa Lake Defined

Recently I posted a pic to a Facebook page.  In my comment, I referenced a playa lake.  Most people on the page didn't know what a playa lake is.  They thought I was using slang for "player."

Playa lakes are bodies of water.  Most are the size of a large pond.  The great majority are man made.  They're usually found in arid or semi-arid climates where rain is scarce.  Some are filled only when it rains.

In my part of the world, playa lakes are connected to city parks.  They serve a dual purpose of recreation and drainage.  When it rains or when someone waters the street with their sprinkler, run off water from the city streets goes into the playa lakes.  

When the lake itself rises above a certain level, it drains into the city pipes via the drain structure seen in the final picture below.  The water is then ultimately released into a small tributary of a river.

Now you know about playa lakes!