The percentage of reservoir capacity utilized in State of California in January of 2023. The reservoirs are visualized using Felt's size-by-value visualization type in the style editor and are displayed by the percent capacity filled. Precipitation data from NOAA is visualized using the categorical style type in the style editor.
The 10 largest California reservoirs by capacity are: Shasta Lake (4.5 million acre-feet), Lake Oroville (3.5 million), Trinity Lake (2.4 million), New Melones Reservoir (2.4 million), San Luis Reservoir (2 million), Don Pedro Reservoir (2 million), Lake Berryessa (1.6 million), Pine Flat Lake (1 million), Isabella Lake (570,000), and Cachuma Lake (205,000). Rankings can vary slightly depending on whether measuring by surface area or water storage capacity.
California is removing certain dams to restore river ecosystems, improve fish passage (especially for endangered salmon and steelhead runs), reduce maintenance costs for aging and obsolete dams, address safety concerns with old infrastructure, restore natural sediment flow, and improve water quality. Most removals target smaller, outdated dams that no longer serve their original purpose rather than major water supply reservoirs.
California reservoir levels fluctuate significantly based on seasonal precipitation and drought cycles. As of recent years, many reservoirs have recovered from severe drought conditions following wet winters with atmospheric rivers, but levels vary considerably by location and season. Current reservoir status changes frequently, so checking the California Department of Water Resources' real-time data provides the most accurate picture of storage levels.
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