An ancient lake has reemerged at Death Valley National Park

The remnants of an ancient lake are still visible in Death Valley National Park after extreme rain last year left several inches of water in the famed Badwater Basin.

The remnants of an ancient lake are still visible in Death Valley National Park after an inundation of rain last year left a significant amount of water in the famed Badwater Basin.

On Aug. 20, heavy precipitation from Hurricane Hilary -- an event that prompted the first-ever tropical storm watch in California's history -- led to the pooling of several inches of water in Badwater Basin, where Lake Manly, an ancient lake that once was filled with water up to 700 feet deep during the Ice Ages, once stood, Abby Wines, park ranger at Death Valley National Park, told ABC News.

More than 2 inches of rain fell on Aug. 20 alone -- more than the area, known for its desert landscape, typically sees in a year -- according to the National Park Service.

The rain was so heavy it caused the closure of Death Valley National Park from Aug. 20 to Oct.15, the longest-ever in the park's history, according to the NPS.

Since Death Valley is an internal basin, meaning the water does not drain out to sea, the remnants of the heavy rainfall remain -- but it won't be there forever, Wines said. Currently, the lake measures at multiple miles long, and about 2 miles wide. It is only a couple of inches deep and gets shallower by the day -- with park rangers estimating that the lake could remain until the end of February.