Summer is just around the corner, but our recent hot weather makes it feel like it’s already here. So, if you’re thinking about hitting the lake to go fishing, boating, or just relaxing… how full is that lake? And how about the water temperatures in the local rivers?
We’ve been talking about how the Sierra Nevada snowpack started it’s Spring melt-off early this year for a while now, so now it’s time to take a look at how our reservoirs are doing as we near Summer. And while the snowpack news has been bad, the reservoir news is pretty good. Most major reservoirs around the state are 75% to 95% full – great news! Because the Sierra snowpack is just about done, this will likely be their peak for the year – they likely won’t see any significant inflow until next November, at the earliest.
Even though our temperatures have been hot and we’re just a few weeks away from Summer, some of the rivers will still be running COLD. The temperature of the San Joaquin River near Friant is still just 56, while the Tuolumne River and Stanislaus River are also both reporting water temperatures in the mid-50’s near the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Those rivers do warm up significantly once they flow more towards the center of the Valley… but on the east side, near the Sierra foothills, expect COLD water. The reason for that is that the water flowing into the rivers is from the bottom of these big reservoirs, where the temperature doesn’t change a lot, despite how warm the air gets. The water near the surface of Millerton Lake is likely much warmer (near 70?), but 50′ or 80′ down, it’s much colder – and that’s what’s flowing into the San Joaquin River near Friant. Pine Flat Lake is an even deeper lake than Millerton, so the water in the Kings River is likely even colder.
Again, as the river flows west in the Valley it’ll warm up fast. But on the east side of the Valley and the nearby Sierra foothills, be aware that no matter how hot the air temperature is, the water temperature will be cold enough to take your breath away for a moment (or longer!) Be safe in those cold rivers.