The San Luis Reservoir near Los Banos, a key water supply for millions of Californians from Silicon Valley to San Diego, is nearly at full capacity after a series of storms this winter.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
For the first time since 2006, California officials have increased allocations from the vital State Water Project to 100% of requested supplies, as reservoirs across the state are nearing capacity and an epic snowpack has yet to melt.
An unusually wet winter brought unprecedented snowfall and a succession of heavy rainstorms, pulling much of the state out of a punishing years-long drought and transforming the year’s water outlook.
“It’s the biggest allocation in quite a few years now and it reflects a very, very wet year,” said Jay Lund, professor of civil and environmental engineering at UC Davis. “Even in pretty wet years, we haven’t gotten to 100% allocations.”
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