Thursday August 4, 2022
KTVU —
KTVU is continuing its week-long series of stories about the drought with a look at the dire situation at California’s largest reservoir.
Lake Shasta provides water not only to agriculture in the Central Valley, but also to several regional Bay Area water systems. Lake Shasta is located 10 miles from Redding, in Shasta County, and about 200 miles north of the Bay Area.
“This year, we are 124 feet down, which is a significant loss of a lot of storage,” said Don Bader, the northern California area manager for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which oversees Shasta Dam and manages the water flowing from the lake.
No matter where you look at Lake Shasta you can see the dramatic “bathtub ring” – bright orange soil contrasting with the blue water and the green tree line. It’s a visual reminder of the severity of California’s drought, and one not seen on a day-to-day basis in places like the Bay Area.
But for those who work and live at Lake Shasta, it serves as a daily warning.