Beginning wet season with glass more than half full
Roseville, Calif. – California's past year of drought-busting rain and snow has set the stage for what could easily be another exceptional year for the Golden State's reservoirs and waterways.
Back in 2022, prognosticators were warning of another scarce water year as California reservoirs were rapidly dwindling. For example, Lake Oroville was forced to shut off its hydropower due to low water levels, Lake Shasta shriveled down to just 33 percent capacity and Folsom Lake receded to expose large swaths of the lakebed. On parts of the north coast, potable water was being shipped in by tanker trucks. Another year of drought in the forecast and things began to look bleak. Then it started to rain. Then it started to snow.
After epic amounts of rain and record-setting snowfall in parts of the Sierra, the dire outlook has softened for the time being. A muted fire season was welcome news and summer water recreation flourished. Now as the wet season returns, reservoirs and waterways are currently in great condition as we do a little rain dance and hope for another wonderfully wet year.
Check out the two charts below to see how reservoirs compare to the same date last year.
2022 vs 2023 – % of Capacity
2022 vs 2023 – % of Average
While there are no guarantees on precipitation, we're certainly heading into the season with our glass more than half full!