A series of atmospheric rivers that have brought up to a foot of rain in the region have raised the waters of Lake Shasta.
Not counting runoff, the storm added 7-12 inches of rain to all areas of the lake between Dec. 19 — when a series of wet winter storms began — and the afternoon of Christmas Eve, said meteorologist Katrina Hand with the National Weather Service in Sacramento. If you put a rain meter on Dec. 20, that’s what you’ll see, she said.
According to the California Department of Water Resources, water levels have risen 8.74 feet in four days, with water flowing from the ground into the lake as well: from 994 feet on Dec. 19 alone to nearly 1,003 feet on Tuesday, Dec. 23.
Forecasters are predicting another 3-4 inches between Christmas Eve and Friday, Dec. 26, Hand said, so rain will continue to pour into Shasta Lake.
The state’s largest reservoir still has plenty of room, according to statistics from the California Department of Water Resources. Lake Shasta was 64% full on Tuesday — 5% more than when the storm began to hit Shasta County. The water of Lake Shasta must reach an elevation of 1,611 feet to reach the peak.
But the lake is usually fuller than in December, the coldest month on average in Redding, according to the weather service. Water statistics showed that the reservoir was 11% higher than normal on December 23.
Aerial view of Shasta Lake and Dam in Shasta County, California on May 9, 2024. On this date, reservoir storage was 4,380,600 acre-feet (AF), 96 percent of total capacity. Operated by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation, Shasta Dam backs up more than 35 miles of Sacramento River water to form lakes and control floodwaters, while supplying water for irrigation, municipal and industrial uses, wildlife habitat maintenance, and power generation.
How much water is in Trinity Lake Reservoir?
A slow-filling water body, Trinity Lake was 77% full on Tuesday.
That’s 130% of its historical average on Dec. 23, according to water department figures.
On December 19, Trinity was 74%, 126% of normal for that date.
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How full are other Northern California reservoirs?
Here’s how full some other Northern California state reservoirs were as of midnight on Tuesday, December 23 compared to December 19.
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Lake Auroville: 59% complete, 111% of its historical average – 51% complete, up from 97% of average
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Folsom Lake: 50% complete, 124% of its historical average – 48% complete, up from 118% of average
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New Bullard’s Bar (Yuba County): 70% complete, 114% of its historical average – 60% complete, above 100% of average
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Sonoma Lake: 61% complete, 112% of its historical average – 57% complete, up from 106% of average
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San Luis Reservoir (San Joaquine Valley): 65% complete, 108% of its historical capacity – 62% complete, up from 107% of average
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Camanche Reservoir (southeast of Stockton): 78% complete, 128% of its historical capacity – 74% complete, up from 125% of average
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New Malone Reservoir (East of Stockton) remained the same: 69% full, 126% of its historical capacity.
Jessica Skropnik is a feature reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA TODAY Network. She covers science, art, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic And on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Record Searchlight Facebook Groups Get Out! Nor Cal, in Shasta County today and shaping Redding’s future. To support and continue this work, please subscribe today. thank you
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Reservoirs in Lake Shasta, California Growing with New Atmospheric Rivers
