20 devastating photos show California’s drought-stricken reservoirs
California is in the middle of its fifth year in drought. Experts say it has been the worst the state has seen in 1,200 years.
Dwindling reservoirs, shrinking lakes, and dried-up farm fields dot the state’s landscape — and despite some recent signs of recovery, the overall outlook is still ominously dry.
Across the state, reservoirs remain far below their capacity and, more importantly, far below their historical average.
And California isn’t alone. Last year, Dean Farrell of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill made a stunning interactive graphic showing the shrinking state of reservoirs across the western US. Still, California stands out, with its reservoirs at roughly 46% of their total capacity.
These images, taken by the US Geological Survey and NASA Landsat 7 and 8 satellites and collected by the online lake reference site Lakepedia, show what 10 California reservoirs looked like in September or October 2001 (“before”) and what each reservoir looked like in the same month of 2016 (“after”).
Lake San Antonio: Before (September 2001)
Lake Cachuma: After
In May, Lake Cachuma, which serves the five water districts of Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria, Montecito, and Santa Ynez, was at 28,000 acre-feet, just 14% of its total capacity.
“Farther points out are just so dry,” Carpinteria resident Pat Saragosa told local news station KSBY 6. “It’s just really sad to see it all dry where it used to be a lot of water.”
Sources: Lakepedia; Santa Barbara County Flood Control District Rainfall and Reservoir Summary 2016; KSBY.com
San Luis Reservoir: Before
Lake Berryessa: After
At 1.6 million acre-feet, Lake Berryessa is the largest lake in Napa County. It’s currently just above half its capacity.
“We’re not where we’d like to be, but we’re in much better shape than some areas of the San Joaquin Valley,” Roland Sanford, a general manager for the Solano County Water Agency, told The Napa Valley Register in February.
Sources: Lakepedia; Lake Berryessa News; Napa Valley Register
Lake Casitas: After
The water levels of Lake Casitas, a human-made lake in the Los Padres National Forest of Ventura County, dipped to historic lows in January.
“The lake is about 42% full,” Ron Merckling of the Casitas Municipal Water District told local news station KEYT3 that month. He said that was “the lowest it has been since about 1967.”
Now it’s just 36% full, according to the Casitas Municipal Water District.
Sources: Lakepedia; Casitas Municipal Water District 2016; KEYT3
Lake Piru: After
If Lake Piru were a lizard, half its body would be missing. While it looks nearly half full, the reality is more stark: It’s at 25% capacity.
Sources: Lakepedia; California Paddling 2016
Santa Margarita Lake: Before
Santa Margarita Lake: After
From this satellite image, Santa Margarita seems virtually dried up. And it’s almost there: According to San Luis Obispo County Water Resources, the lake is currently at less than 10% capacity.
Hopefully, Santa Margarita — along with the rest of California — will get some much-needed rain soon.
Business Insider
makati1 on Sun, 6th Nov 2016 6:56 am
“Hope” doesn’t cause rain. A few years from now, maybe they will all be dry. Maybe in 10-15 years this area will just be an extension of the Mojave Desert. I hope that Californians like cactus fruit and rattlesnake. lol
peakyeast on Sun, 6th Nov 2016 7:24 am
I think I will have to read a little more about Californias historical climate.
There has been both articles saying that the norm for california is desertlike and that the previous abundance of water was the exception.
And then there has been some articles (like this one) saying this is the worst drought in so and so many years. Which then seem to clain that the dryness is not the norm.
Which one is true version? Perhaps the answer lies in how much timeline that is included in the “truth”.
Davy on Sun, 6th Nov 2016 7:30 am
I am not sure this drought is going to behave like many think it will. This does not mean debilitating results will not be the outcome. My feeling is normal climate predictions are not accurate enough to model what is going on as for the variability we are seeing. The warming of the Arctic is so destabilizing we may see this region in long-term drought with some year’s seeing widespread rain and floods. The region referenced in this article had nice rains just to the north or San Francisco over the past month. We might even see some normal patterns return.
I am seeing abrupt climate change but I am not sold on all the predictions yet except that the new normal will not be normal. This means a historic drought will not be like a reference drought from 1000 years ago. We need to be looking further back then that when climate was really weird. I am not an expert but I have been following climate stories daily now for years. I am seeing plenty of wrong modelling. I am seeing mostly modeling being too conservative.
We just got our first frost this year in the Missouri Ozarks this morning. That is 2-3 weeks later than normal. Does that mean a warm winter for me? I am concerned we will have a warmer winter punctuated by bitter cold as the Arctic destabilizes causing a meandering Jetstream to deliver a variety of weather within an overall warming.
ohanian on Sun, 6th Nov 2016 7:32 am
Ha! If you are profoundly disturbed by those satellite pictures, please relax. It can easily be fixed by photoshop.
Shortend on Sun, 6th Nov 2016 8:57 am
Great idea to settle the “Great American Desert” west with millions of thristy European white folk with flush toilets.
Now they are being replaced by Brown South of the Border devout Roman Catholics that listen to the Pope. Large families are a blessing!
Anyway, the great equalizer will take care of things.
penury on Sun, 6th Nov 2016 9:41 am
Of course it could be “climate change” in which case, we have no idea what it will be like in 5,10 or 20 years. Admit it, move on and plan accordingly. We is all hosed.
jedrider on Sun, 6th Nov 2016 10:23 am
Just my seat-of-the-pants reaction to this. The drought is real and the drought is now persistent. California has different climatic zones. San Diego’s climate is moving north, maybe, will reach San Jose. Goodbye beautiful national parks with specimens that are a thousand years old. That’s how bad I expect it to get. The weather itself is still nice, though.
cool on Sun, 6th Nov 2016 10:25 am
There’s a silver lining. More land to pave.
Plantagenet on Sun, 6th Nov 2016 10:44 am
I’m not worried. The 2015 Paris Accords outlawed the earth warming more then 2°C.
The earth wouldn’t dare break the 2°C limit after Obama and other world leaders signed a piece of paper saying it isn’t allowed…….
cheers!
Danlxyz on Sun, 6th Nov 2016 11:46 am
Yah cool on Sun, I agree. Look at all of that nice flat land to put a subdivision on.
If by some off chance it does rain again, everyone can get federal flood insurance. So, no problem.
jmm on Sun, 6th Nov 2016 2:14 pm
als er steeds meer mensen komen die de wc door spoelen.!
Sissyfuss on Sun, 6th Nov 2016 7:37 pm
Oh, that’s a good one jmm! Agree 100%.
makati1 on Sun, 6th Nov 2016 8:02 pm
jmm… they have toilets in California? I thought they were all commune hippies using holes and leaves….lol.
Go Speed Racer on Sun, 6th Nov 2016 8:34 pm
The Californians should all drink bottled water nowadays.
That would stop those reservoirs from draining down so fast.
Apneaman on Sun, 6th Nov 2016 10:13 pm
California has plenty of company
China’s largest freshwater lake turns into prairie
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2016-11/04/content_27273145.htm
NASA Satellite Imagery Shows Utah’s Great Salt Lake Is Drying Up at Alarming Rate
http://www.ecowatch.com/great-salt-lake-utah-2077769555.html
Apneaman on Sun, 6th Nov 2016 10:32 pm
peaky, where are these articles you’re talking about. Lets see them.
The G in AGW stands for Global, so no place gets off the hook.
AGW is a big factor in the 6th year of the california drought and most other droughts and growing desertification on this globe.
For semi deserts like parts of California, AGW makes it even more desert. If there is natural variation towards a drier period then it just make it all the worse.
California Drought To Enter 6th Year, Colorado River States Struggle to Avert Water Crisis, Southeast Drought Worsens
https://robertscribbler.com/2016/10/27/california-drought-to-enter-6th-year-colorado-river-states-struggle-to-avert-water-crisis-southeast-drought-worsens/
Like I said California is not alone in the US or the world. Shit happening all over.
United States Drought Monitor
Nov 1
http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/
Anonymous on Sun, 6th Nov 2016 11:46 pm
I dont what the yankees expect is going to happen to ‘turn things around’. The demand for water, is not going to decrease. Between legal AND illegal migration pushing ever greater demand, those reservoirs will never refill. At least not to a meaningful degree. Short of sustained snow or rainfall, good luck with that, for a few years running, the decline will continue. Even things like stringent water rationing will at best, only slow the rate of decline. Industry and amerikas wasteful big-ag corporations will ensure water supplies continue to dwindle, no matter what restrictions are put on watering lawns and golf courses in the desert.
makati1 on Mon, 7th Nov 2016 12:20 am
Add in the dropping of the largest aquifers from farming and the U$ is in a world of hurt.
http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2015/06/aquifers-groundwater-world-depleted-california-drought
Worth a look, I think.
peakyeast on Mon, 7th Nov 2016 4:18 am
@ape: I am sorry I do not save links or otherwise. Only pdf books.
Here is what I could find in a hurry:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/14/science/californias-history-of-drought-repeats.html?_r=0
Look at graph: Recent period is called Wet period – and looks much wetter than the (maybe?) normal climate seen before the “megadroughts”.
Kenz300 on Mon, 7th Nov 2016 5:25 am
Too many people create too much pollution and demand too many resources
CLIMATE CHANGE, declining fish stocks, droughts, floods, air water and land pollution, poverty, water and food shortages all stem from the worlds worst environmental problem OVER POPULATION.
Yet the world adds 80 million more mouths to feed, clothe, house and provide energy and water for every year… this is unsustainable… and is a big part of the Climate Change problem