California Reservoir Status

[PufPuf23]

This map is a graphic of current, historic, and capacity status of major California Reservoirs as of today.

I post because I like the presentation and the issue is important.

Note that the y-axis varies in scale from reservoir to reservoir.

The drought has also negatively impacted ground water storage.

[cheyanne]

1. Is Hetch Hetchy a reservoir?

[lapfog_1]

4. yup

SF water comes from there.

Plus, little known fact... the electricity to drive this



which was one of the prime reasons the reservoir was built.

[PufPuf23]

9. Yes, there are a multitude of smaller reservoirs not listed.

Lewiston, Whiskeytown, Ruth, Iron Gate, Dos Rios, Butt Lake, .....

[lapfog_1]

2. not that it's been measured yet

but snow pack is probably more important than reservoirs

We have way more rain fall this winter than any recent winter... but snow conditions... not only up top, but also how low it goes (needless to say there is way more snow storage capacity at lower elevations).

That water is what will recharge the ground water and fill the reservoirs in the spring.

I fear we need maybe two more years of "El Nino" events to get out of the drought.

If it doesn't get cold enough to save the snow pack until April, May, and June... none of this matters... we can't build enough reservoirs to save the central valley farms plus the urban populations (and their yards).

[IDemo]

8. Snow Water Equivalents as of 25-Jan-2016

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cdecapp/snowapp/sweq.action

What is Snow Water Equivalent?

Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) is a common snowpack measurement. It is the amount of water contained within the snowpack. It can be thought of as the depth of water that would theoretically result if you melted the entire snowpack instantaneously.

[Wounded Bear]

10. Looks like it is at or above normal this year...

too bad it'll take more than one year to 'correct' the drought problem.

Best wishes to the state going forward.

[lapfog_1]

12. good, better than I thought from my drive to Tahoe a few weeks ago.

I hope the snowfall continues

[PufPuf23]

13. Snowpack level is relatively high where I am in the Klamath Mountains

despite a higher than long term average precipitation this year.

Looking from my home (when sky is clear) the snow accumulation zone is 4000 feet or so where historically the snow zone is down to about 3000 feet.

There has been rain nearly every day for the last two months and snow 4X where I live at about 500 feet but the low snows have all been followed by warm rains. The River runs high but not as high if the snow had accumulated lower and came down in a larger pulse.

The ground water problem is not an easy two year fix where there has been industrial draws for decades.

Most water from the California Water Project goes to agriculture and to protect the Sacramento River delta with urban use a distant third in use.

[underpants]

3. Another story ignored by the media

The natural gas leak is another
Flint FINALLY is getting notice

[CreekDog]

6. Actually, the reservoir levels have been ongoing news in the media for months

the decreasing reservoir levels all last year and the recent increases as well as improved snowpack have been in the news a lot, with stories several times per week in the SF Chronicle, LA Times and San Jose Mercury News, as well as on television news.

I share your criticism of the media, however, when it comes to these stories on water, your criticism is inaccurate.

[FLPanhandle]

5. Thanks

I was wondering about this just yesterday.

[PufPuf23]

14. You are welcome. Posted as thought a neat chart.

I haven't traveled lately to see the reservoirs but would have thought there had been more accumulation given the rainfall so far.

The large reservoirs are not allowed to fill until later because of Spring melt in any case (except for low or absent snowpack).

[gcomeau]

7. The interactive link...

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cdecapp/resapp/getResGraphsMain.action

For anyone who wants to see how things looked last month... last year at the same time... etc...

[ChisolmTrailDem]

11. Will El Nino bring enough precip to continue the rise in water levels? nt

[gcomeau]

15. Rise... likely. Rise enough? Doubt it. Not in one year.

[Xithras]

16. I was just riding some singletrack at New Melones last weekend.

As depressing as that 15% number is, it's still a big improvement over where the lake was a few months ago (when it was toying with the 9% mark). Overall, the lake is about 20 feet deeper than it was the last time I was there in Spetember.

A couple of the rangers were saying that the lake might hit 25% when the spring melt hits, and they were pretty damned happy about that number.