Winter storms trigger dramatic turnaround for the San Luis Reservoir
GILROY -- The onslaught of atmospheric rivers has once again filled the banks of the San Luis Reservoir east of Gilroy.
That's good news for the Silicon Valley. The massive, sprawling reservoir is the state's fifth largest and like other waterways across Northern California had dropped dramatically low levels during five years of severe drought.
"It's great to see it," said Valley Water District spokesperson Matt Keller. "I mean it's so close to 100 percent. It's incredible to see."
It's just the third time in the past decade that the reservoir has been this full.
"San Luis holds water that come to Santa Clara Valley Water," Keller said. "It's a very important part of our water portfolio."
And it's not just above-ground storage in reservoirs. This year's snowpack was historic. The snow survey totals in April were 237 percent of normal, trying a record that stretches all the way back to 1952.
"When people think about Santa Clara County, they may look to our reservoirs and check to see how high those are," Keller said. "But really a significant amount of our water supply comes from outside the county and that includes the snowpack."
This week, Valley Water is planning to lift its drought restrictions. No more 15 percent cutbacks on water use or twice weekly landscape watering. Gone too are the so-called water police.
"The reality is we're going to come up to another drought again," Keller said. "So why not keep those habits in place. So, we should be careful with our water use and make that a way of life in Santa Clara County."
The turnaround at San Luis is being repeated across Northern California. Now, 12 of California's 17 major reservoirs are filled above their historical averages for the start of spring. That includes Folsom Lake, which controls water flows along the American River, as well as Lake Oroville, the state's second largest reservoir and home to the nation's tallest dam.
The water picture changed dramatically starting in December, when the first of a dozen " atmospheric rivers " hit, causing widespread flooding and damaging homes and infrastructure, and dumping as many as 700 inches of snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
"California went from the three driest years on record to the three wettest weeks on record when we were catapulted into our rainy season in January," said Karla Nemeth, director of California Department of Water Resources. "So, hydrologically, California is no longer in a drought except for very small portions of the state."
All the rain and snow, while drought-busting, may bring new challenges. Some reservoirs are so full that water is being released to make room for storm runoff and snowmelt that could cause flooding this spring and summer, a new problem for weary water managers and emergency responders.