Major reservoirs across California are performing above or near their historical average, but a dry summer has contributed to falling water levels. Regardless of the plunge, most of the Golden State’s major reservoirs are in a much better state than at their lowest point in 2022. After years of drought, several reservoirs in California reached concerningly low water levels in the summer of 2022. However, an abnormally wet winter that followed alleviated much of the state’s drought and replenished the lakes. A similarly wet winter last year brought a deluge of rain to the state. Reservoir water levels rose across the state, with several reservoirs nearing their capacity in 2023 and 2024, including the state’s two largest reservoirs, Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville.

Related drought articles:

• Newsweek: Why Las Vegas drought isn’t impacting Lake Mead’s water levels
• Newsweek: How Lake Powell’s Water Levels Are Changing Ahead of Looming Winter Drought
• Weather West blog: Relatively dry and warm autumn pattern likely to continue into early November
• ABC 10 Sacramento: California Winter Outlook: Potential impacts from La Niña
• ABC News: Almost half of the US is experiencing drought. How that can affect the food industry.
• Newsweek: Atmospheric rivers are shifting northward—US West Coast faces impacts