Heavy rainfall has been a boon for reservoirs storing water for the summer season. In October, Lake Shasta, the largest reservoir in California, was below the level it started at in 2023. But just around a week of heavy rainfall has brought the lake’s levels above last year’s.
The same can be said for other reservoirs in Southern Oregon, according to Wanda Derry, manager of the Talent Irrigation District.
“Our reservoirs from December 27 to the 30th on Monday, we gained 4,720 acre-feet," Derry said.
An acre-foot is the size of a standard Olympic swimming pool.
Much of the water from these reservoirs is used to irrigate crops during the summer months. The water levels typically reach their peak around May. Derry said they’re hoping for another wet spring, so they can keep the water in the reservoirs till later.
They're also seeing much higher snow levels.
“On January 1st of last year, we had no snow where we measure the snow, up by Howard Prairie. And this year we currently have 20 inches," she said.
The snow pack is twice the average level right now across Southern Oregon and Northern California. Derry says that snow is good for them because it will help keep the reservoirs full through the warmer months.
Water managers have been more conservative in recent years, saving as much water as possible into the next year. That’s critical for helping farmers get through the next drought period. Derry said they’re going to continue to be cautious with water usage heading into the summer.
