Lake Tahoe is filling up, L.A. stored tons of water and other California water news - Los Angeles Times
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Lake Tahoe is filling up, L.A. stored tons of water and other California water news

Lake Tahoe is filling up, L.A. stored tons of water and other California water news

Here’s some positive water news.

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Here’s some good news: Lake Tahoe is projected to fill up for the first time in five years thanks to some unusually wet winters.

According to a USDA report released last month, three months this year had above-average snowpack, pointing to promising runoff at the tourist destination, which has been hit especially hard by drought and climate change.

And in other feel-good water news, Los Angeles County water officials say it has been a “super” year, and we’ve captured and stored a significant amount of stormwater: 96 billion gallons, or enough to supply 2.4 million people a year, since October.

It appears the county’s investments in expanding its spreading grounds, removing sediment from reservoirs and building out capture infrastructure is paying off in helping with the region’s local water goals.

Local water! Cheaper than water imported from hundreds of miles away.

As for the year being “super,” 2022 to ’24 have so far proven second only to 1888 to 1890 as the wettest recorded back-to-back rain seasons in DTLA.

While the water year doesn’t end until Sept. 30, it does appear that El Niño is on its way out.

That’s the Pacific weather pattern that coincided with Southern California’s atmospheric rivers.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts a 60% chance of a La Niña beginning by August; that’s the oscillating pattern that tends to bring with it drier weather to the Southwest.

Drought could always be around the corner.

And before you get too hopeful, remember. We’ve had 11 straight months of record-breaking temperatures.

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