Thursday, February 4, 2016

This is all good news for Marin residents and local salmon as this year's coho run is the largest in almost a decade.
The Marin Municipal Water District has recorded 28.7 inches of rain at its Lake Lagunitas gauge since July 1, and this season's rainfall is 103 percent of average.
With the heavy rains, six of the seven reservoirs in the Marin Municipal Water District are now at full capacity. After reaching a low point of 63 percent capacity for the season in Dec. 2015, the system is now at 98 percent—this is 120 percent of average. Lagunitas, Bon Tempe, Alpine, Kent, Phoenix and Soulajule are at capacity.
Below, Alpine Dam in Marin County.


Meanwhile, further east the good water news continues.  Folsom Lake east of Sacramento rose 44 feet in the last month, and even more impressive, the elevation at Lake Oroville shot up a dramatic 20 feet in only six days.

Lake Oroville, the second-largest manmade reservoir in California after Shasta, registered its lowest elevation ever at 645 feet above sea level on Sept. 7, 1977. Last year, on Dec. 9, the lake came close to this record, dipping down to 649 feet. But the recent storms are replenishing the lake, and the elevation on Jan. 19 was 694 feet. 

There's probably anther month and a half of wet weather, which, if this trend continues, will return the state to water richness.  Boaters and farmers rejoice!

1 comment: