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Pyramid Lake, seen here in February, is a Los Angeles County reservoir that is part of the State Water Project system.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Anadolu\/Anadolu via Getty Images<\/p>\n
As California heads into its dry season, its major reservoirs are in good shape, with statewide storage<\/a> on Friday estimated to be 20% above normal for this time of year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Robust rainfall<\/a> in April has given a slight boost in places\u00a0\u2014 especially welcome after an unusually dry March<\/a>.<\/p>\n The state\u2019s overall water outlook remains complicated, however. The Sierra snowpack<\/a>, which effectively functions as a frozen reservoir, is far below normal. The Colorado River system, which is critical for Southern California\u2019s water supply, is also struggling amid a deepening drought<\/a> and below-average snowfall in the Rocky Mountains.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cReservoir levels have remained mostly above average since 2023, when California saw one of the largest snowpacks on record,\u201d said Michael Anderson, state climatologist with California\u2019s Department of Water Resources, by email.\u00a0<\/p>\n The largest reservoir in California, Shasta Lake, was at 91% of total capacity<\/a> through Thursday, which is 9% above its historical average. The reservoir is part of the federally managed Central Valley Project, which primarily supplies water for agriculture.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lake Oroville, the state\u2019s second-largest reservoir, was at 96% of total capacity<\/a> through Thursday, which is 23% above the historical average. The reservoir is a key part of California\u2019s State Water Project, a state-run system that supplies farms and cities across the state.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n San Francisco Chronicle Logo<\/p>\n Make us a Preferred Source to get more of our news when you search.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, which provides water to San Francisco, was at 98% of total capacity through Thursday, or 57% above normal. Total system storage for the East Bay Municipal Utility District<\/a> was 91% full through Thursday, or 11% above average.<\/p>\n Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite National Park, seen here in June 2023, is much fuller than normal right now.<\/p>\n The Washington Post\/The Washington Post via Getty Im<\/p>\n Conditions are grimmer elsewhere in the West. Major reservoirs<\/a> in the Colorado River system have dangerously low water levels.<\/p>\n Lake Mead, located in Nevada and Arizona, was 32% full as of Wednesday. That\u2019s just over half of the long-term average for this time of year. The reservoir, which is formed by Hoover Dam, is the largest in the country.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Upstream on the Colorado River, Lake Powell, located in Utah and Arizona and the second-largest reservoir in the country, was 23% full as of Wednesday, or 40% of the historical average for the date.\u00a0<\/p>\n The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation<\/a> projected that, without major intervention, Lake Powell\u2019s water levels could drop so low this summer that the Glen Canyon Dam wouldn\u2019t be able to produce hydroelectric power.<\/p>\n Clouds over San Francisco as seen from Treasure Island during heavy rain on April 12.<\/p>\n Anadolu\/Anadolu via Getty Images A man walks on a sidewalk at Treasure Island during rainy weather on April 12.<\/p>\n Anadolu\/Anadolu via Getty Images Bridalveil Falls as seen from Northside Drive in Yosemite National Park on April 2. The park\u2019s waterfalls are peaking earlier than usual this year due to low snowpack and rapid melt-off.<\/p>\n Bront\u00eb Wittpenn\/S.F. Chronicle The O’Shaughnessy Dam on the Tuolumne River forms the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park, as seen in September 2022.<\/p>\n Tracy Barbutes\/Special to The Chronicle Hetch Hetchy reservoir, which supplies water to San Francisco, is seen here in July 2016.<\/p>\n Michael Macor\/The Chronicle<\/p>\n While snowmelt typically replenishes reservoirs during warmer months, far less relief is expected this year, including in California, after the warm winter thwarted normal snowfall.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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