California's Lake Tahoe saw an influx of 16 billion gallons of water in under a month, SnowBrains reported.
According to data from the U.S. Geological Survey, the water, enough to fill 90,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools, flowed into the lake between Feb. 15 and March 3.
The addition increased the depth of the lake from about 7.5 feet to 8 feet at the site of the lake's measuring station.
The force behind the sudden, welcome flood was a series of winter storms that hit the region.
Not only did rain fall around the lake itself, but there was also significant precipitation in the mountains above the basin, feeding streams that also run into the lake.
That's good news for the Lake Tahoe area, since the beginning of February was unfortunately dry. The lake is a vital water resource for the region, which includes parts of both California and Nevada, which includes the Reno area.
This is the latest in a series of weather events that are helping California recover from a long-standing drought. For years, the region has received much less water than its typical average — and much less than residents and businesses typically use.
Severe drought like this can have long-lasting consequences, as residents draw on groundwater and other resources that cannot easily be replenished.
Emptying aquifers and similar sources of water doesn't just use up water that needs to be refilled; it also reduces the capacity of the land to hold as much water in the future. The ground compresses and sinks, making it difficult for it to absorb water again.
This type of subsidence also damages property, so it's harmful in the short and long term.
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However, this year, some areas of California and Nevada have received 300% of their typical precipitation, helping to reverse some of the drought damage in this area.
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