You know the person–in the midst of a giant California rainstorm, as a deluge of water poured down for weeks on end, they just loved to remind you “even though it’s raining now, that doesn’t mean the drought is over!”
Well, now there’s a statistic you can show to those haters to put the final nail in the coffin for California’s years-long drought.
Lake Shasta, the largest reservoir in the state, isn’t just at its normal levels–it’s actually just 7 feet away from being completely full.
In fact, data for the California Department of Water Resources shows that the massive reservoir is at 118% of its historical level. And the rainy season (and Summer snowpack melt) isn’t even over yet.
This massive reservoir is the major water feeder for most of the San Francisco Bay Area. The fact that it’s basically full means that we have water for a long while, even if the rains stop for a bit.
Oh, and remember that infamous drought map that haters loved to parade around a few years back? The one where most of the state was pockmarked with angry red and yellow blotches?
Now it’s almost entirely white. The tiny patches of remaining yellow only indicate “Abormally Dry” conditions. None of the state is actually in a drought any more.
If you were one of the people who kept saying “with all this rain, the drought must be over” and kept hearing others say “we can’t draw conclusions yet!” it’s time to pat yourself on the back.
And maybe send those people this article with a smug emoji or two to hammer in the point.
