Updated: 5/10/2009 8:14:56 PM
The world's largest underground lake is in East Tennessee, but in recent years, drought conditions have dried up much of its depth, along with some of the fun for tourists.
"The Lost Sea dropped about 26 feet in about 3 years," said Lost Sea Adventure Manager Lisa McClung. "We really hated it when the lake dropped even though it opened up more of the cave areas."
Over a year ago, the conditions forced the Lost Sea Adventure to stop its boat rides through the lake.
The current drought has caused the greatest loss of depth ever recorded for the Lost Sea, but fter 10 days of heavy rain, a rare sound has re-entered the cave.
"For the first time in months, maybe even a year or so, we are able to hear water coming into the cave," McClung said.
The tiny waterfalls now trickling through the cave sound good news for business as well.
"The Lost Sea is the number one attraction to the people coming into the cave. That's what they're here to see," McClung said.
"Here in the next couple of weeks we're going to start doing tours in areas that have been cut off until just recently," said Lost Sea Adventure Tour Guide Charles Dixon.
Since the Lost Sea is fed by underground springs, the rain water, now deep in the ground, will continue to bring more depth -- and officials hope, tourists -- for weeks to come.
"We have been so happy with the rain, we don't care if it rains everyday," McClung said.
The Lost Sea has risen 20 feet in the last year.
