Wednesday October 12, 2022
KRCR —
As a warm and dry summer drags into October, additional stress is put on our already low water supply.
But despite what dramatic images might suggest, this is not an extreme outlier in terms of lake levels. As Lake Shasta Caverns General Manager Matthew Doyle explains, “It is not a record-setting year as far as lake levels; we have seen a lot of news reports and a lot of concerns…we have a lot of guests that will call up and ask about the lake levels. This is definitely not a record-breaking year. I’ve been here for close to 21 years and I’ve seen it at least four times lower than this. Now one of the best things is we were only supposed to get down to 150 feet this year, currently we’re sitting at 142 feet, which we’re eight feet higher, which is actually quite a bit of water and that’s a good start going into the next water season, which just started October first.”
Data from the Department of Water Resources reflects Doyle’s perspective; Shasta Lake is approximately 36 feet higher than it was at this time last year. However, the lake is still below its normal level and air temperatures remain well above average for this time in October. Doyle shared more about the impact this warmth can have on the ecosystem.