4 Major California Reservoirs are ABOVE Average Right Now

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Lake Shasta and Mt. Shasta looking good in 2006.  image: shastalake.com
Lake Shasta and Mt. Shasta looking good in 2006. image: shastalake.com

Four major California reservoirs are currently experiencing above historical average water levels right now including California’s largest reservoir, Lake Shasta.

  • Shasta:  110% of average
  • Folsom:  131% of average
  • Don Pedro:  105% of average
  • Millerton:  134% of average

This is excellent news especially since this is the time of year when CA reservoirs are traditionally quite low while they wait for big winter precipitation to come down from the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains.

image:  nrcs, today
image: nrcs, today

A big reason for these high water levels is the record precipitation early season precipitation California has received this water year (October 1st – September 30th).

201% of average precipitation in NorCal so far this water year (Oct 1st – Sept. 30). image: noaa
201% of average precipitation in NorCal so far this water year (Oct 1st – Sept. 30). image: noaa

As of November 28th, northern California was seeing its wettest water year in 30 years and was at 201% of average.  Since November 28th, we’ve had some insanely large precipitation totals in northern California so we’re likely still on this 200% of average track.

Wettest Start for Northern Sierra Nevada, CA in 30 Years This Year | 201% of Average!

The problem with all this is that with the exception of Mt. Shasta and Mt. Lassen in the far north, most of the mountains of northern California have been seeing copious amounts of rain to high elevation.

image:  noaa
image: noaa

A huge atmospheric rainstorm hit the Lake Tahoe region on December 10th and 11th and dropped 8.7 billion gallons of water into Lake Tahoe raising its water level by 4″.

Lake Tahoe Just Gained 8.7-BILLION Gallons of Water in 2-Days! | Water Level BACK to Natural Rim

image:  noaa, today
image: noaa, today

Another atmospheric storm is hitting California right now and it’s forecast to drop big rain and big snow on the mountains here.  Lake Tahoe will mostly like rise hugely once again.

Atmospheric River To Bring 1-6 FEET of Snow to California on Thursday

image:  nrcs, today
image: nrcs, today

Northwestern California is officially NOT experiencing a drought right now.  Huge news.  Much of the rest of California is still experiencing drought, but things are improving considerably in northern California.


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