California reservoirs are making a remarkable turnaround this year due to the high amount of recent rainfall.
After facing low reservoir levels due to a drought that started in early 2020, nearly all of California's major water reservoirs are at or above their historical average levels. This is due to the record rainfall the state has been experiencing since December. More than half of all of California is no longer in a drought according to U.S. Drought Monitor. In April of last year, all of California was experiencing at least some level of drought.
Shasta Lake, California's largest reservoir currently sits at 85% capacity which is above its historical average. In November 2022, the lake was only at 31% capacity.
The San Luis Reservoir in Merced County is almost 100% full after it was at 25% percent in early December. In November 2021 California's fifth-largest reservoir was at a mere 10% capacity.
As of late March, the average California reservoir is at about 73% percent capacity which is higher than normal for this time of year historically.