Wednesday May 11, 2022
KGET —
California is approaching the hot, dry summer season and the state’s two largest reservoirs are already at “critically low” levels, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Shasta Lake is at 40% of capacity and Lake Oroville is at 55% as of May 3, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor’s latest report.
Water levels at Shasta Lake, which is located on the upper Sacramento River and is an important component of California’s Central Valley Project, are now less than half of historical average for this time of year.
Meanwhile, Lake Oroville, the largest reservoir in the State Water Project, is at 70% of where it usually is around this time, according to the Department of Water Resources.
The report detailing the plummeting water levels comes after an unprecedented action by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which last month announced it is restricting outdoor watering to just one day a week for millions of residents.