Incredible before-and-after images of reservoirs are proof of California’s winter deluges
After another wet winter, record rainfall has turned California green and replenished the state’s reservoirs, which had been perilously low during the worst days of the drought. Lake Oroville, the state’s second-biggest reservoir, often serves as a rainfall barometer. As of Tuesday, Oroville was at 100% capacity, according to data from the state Department of Water Resources. … The left photograph shows Enterprise Bridge on Dec. 21, 2022, when the lake was at 29% of its total capacity. The right side shows the same area April 24, 2024, when the lake was at 96% of capacity — a figure it has now eclipsed. As of May 7, Lake Oroville was at 128% of its historical level. Lake Shasta, the state’s largest reservoir, was 97% full Tuesday, or 115% of its historical level.