The recent deluges have handsomely shored up California’s water reservoir levels — leaving the vast majority of them to now beat their historical averages.
The state of California has been nothing but wet and drenched, windy and gloomy since early last week. Since then, feet — yes, feet — of water flooded various parts of the state, most notably affecting Southern California where six months of rain totals fell over a single day.
Heads up! @NWSCPC is highlighting a potentially impactful series of storms approaching the West Coast late next week into the holiday weekend. Details are limited right now, so continue to monitor the latest forecast as we iron out the details. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/XupDyYcdrt
— NWS Bay Area 🌉 (@NWSBayArea) February 8, 2024
Compared to where the state was just two years ago, it’s a night and day difference; 98% of California has experienced drought conditions in 2022, per the U.S. Drought Monitor; as of publishing, no areas in the state are organized under these same aforenoted conditions, with just 7% of California noted as experiencing “unusually dry” conditions, though not severe enough to be considered drought-like — and these most recent estimates were taken before this month’s historic deluges, mind you.
As of Friday, February 9th, California’s four largest water reservoirs have now recorded record heights, besting all previous historic measurements.
According to the California Department of Water Resources’s most current reservoir conditions map, the state’s three largest water reservoirs — the Shashta, Orville, and New Melones waterbodies — have well exceeded their historical averages. Current water levels at the Shasta reservoir are nearly 25% more than its usual average; it’s a similar trend and percentage observed for both the Orville and New Melones reservoirs, as well; in fact, 13 of the state’s 18 water reservoirs managed by the department are now measuring above their historical averages.
It’s a huge, big, massive, welcomed win for the state’s hydrological patterns, which, until 2023, had been leaning toward all dystopian drought conditions. Let’s all hope this pattern of reservoir refilling and ground saturation continues well into fire season.
Feature image: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
