California Lake To Reach 'Full Capacity' For First Time In Years

Lake Tahoe, the freshwater lake located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains between California and Nevada, is expected to reach full capacity for the first time since June 2019. According to SF GATE, this prediction comes from a recent report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which attributes the lake's replenishment to strong precipitation and snowmelt from the Californian mountains during the winter months.

The report states that the snowpacks were 108% to 244% of the median level on April 1st and remained above average at 102% to 184% of the median level on May 1st, despite a dry April. The dam at Lake Tahoe's outlet, which provides up to six feet of storage totaling 744,500 acre-feet, is expected to be filled by the snowmelt. Once full, the stored water in Lake Tahoe typically provides sufficient supply to meet demand for three years, even if future snowpacks are below normal.

"The water year continues through September, but it is already a safe bet to pencil in a win on this year’s report card especially for northern Nevada," the report states.

Lake Tahoe's water levels fluctuate seasonally, typically reaching their lowest in December and January and increasing in the spring as melting snow from nearby mountains flows down. The lake's refilling would mark another recovery from the state's drought, which was lifted completely after record amounts of rainfall and snowpack in 2023.