As of Friday, most of California's major water supply reservoirs are performing above their historical average for this time of year.
Why It Matters
The state's reservoir storage is updated daily and comes as President Donald Trump visits Los Angeles amid the raging wildfires that have left at least 28 people dead and caused thousands to evacuate.
Firefighting challenges like Los Angeles fire hydrants running dry earlier this month have spurred more questions about the state of California's water supply, as well as drawn criticism from Trump.
What To Know
As of current reservoir water levels, most major California reservoirs are performing above their historical average. This doesn't mean they're full, though. For example, Lake Shasta, California's largest reservoir, located in the northern part of the state, is at only 76 percent of its total capacity, though this is 124 percent of its historical average for this time of year.
Of the 17 reservoirs tracked by the current conditions on the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) website, only four are performing below average. They are Folsom Lake, Castaic Lake, Millerton Lake and Don Pedro Reservoir.
Folsom Lake is at 37 percent capacity, which is 84 percent of its historical average. Castaic Lake is at 76 percent capacity, or 97 percent of its historical average. Millerton Lake is at 47 percent capacity, which is 81 percent of its historical average, and Don Pedro Reservoir is at 69 percent capacity, or 98 percent of its historical average.
Many California reservoirs reached concerningly low levels in the summer of 2022 after battling years of drought, but an exceptionally wet winter the following year, and an average one last year, has allowed most of them to recover. For example, Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville both neared or reached capacity for the past two summers.
Water levels at California reservoirs are expected to begin rising this spring, once snowmelt begins to take place. As of the January snowpack summary, snowpack in the northern Sierra Nevada mountains is 101 percent of average, but snowpack in the central and southern Sierra Nevada mountains is only 64 percent and 53 percent of normal for this time of year.
However, Southern California has experienced an exceptionally dry start to the year, a situation that has contributed to the dry fuels consumed by the wildfires. Los Angeles is more than 5 inches behind its average rainfall to date so far this year, which is only 1 percent of normal.
What People Are Saying
A DWR spokesperson previously told Newsweek: "The timing as to when reservoirs begin to rise each year is weather dependent and variable...Half of California's annual precipitation falls December through February, making those the key months for water managers."
Trump, in an executive order directing the Secretary of Commerce and Secretary of the Interior to route more water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to other parts of the state, wrote: "The recent deadly and historically destructive wildfires in Southern California underscore why the State of California needs a reliable water supply and sound vegetation management practices in order to provide water desperately needed there, and why this plan must immediately be reimplemented."
DWR Director Karla Nemeth, in part of a statement responding to the order, said: "It's important to point out that the Executive Order issued by President Trump does not change anything. Current 2024 policies remain in effect and there is no immediate impact to State Water Project operations."
What Happens Next
Rain is supposed to arrive in Southern California beginning on Saturday. The heaviest rain will fall on Sunday. Meteorologists are hoping the wet weather pattern will provide a respite from the dry conditions.
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