Arizona's Tempe Town Lake, home to several multisport events including November's Ironman Arizona, drained almost entirely last night after the lake's inflatable dam burst, .
An estimated one billion gallons of water poured into the Salt River bed overnight, leaving many areas of the lake with three or less feet of water. The average depth of the lake is usually 16 feet.
The city of Tempe had been planning to replace the dam earlier this year, but severe weather postponed the replacement. Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman that it will take two weeks to refill the dam, leaving plenty of time for the lake to be ready for fall events.
–Erin Beresini