For many, heavy rains are a headache. Storms send pedestrians scurrying under umbrellas, trying to stay dry, and can cause major traffic jams for motorists. But for California, recent heavy rains have been more than welcome.
The Mercury News reported that large atmospheric storms have filled the state's reservoirs to historic levels. Hundreds of billions of gallons of water have refilled the reservoirs, easing concerns about future shortfalls for the time being.
California's largest reservoir, Shasta, is 77% full since Dec. 16, which is 129% of its historical average at this time of year. Other reservoirs throughout the state showed similar averages. Incredibly, the rainfall in the last three weeks is enough to provide water for nine million people a year.
This is fantastic news, as warming temperatures around the globe are leading to sustained periods of drought that threaten water supplies. And as Nature reports, those warmer temperatures can lead to more erratic and heavier rainfall. While that isn't good, maximizing our ability to capture the excess water for use when it falls is extremely important.
This is only the latest good news in water conservation. In 2024, officials in Utah celebrated that their water levels were the highest they had been in 13 years. And Big Bear Lake in California was also replenished over the last few years after intense periods of drought.
Preserving water from the rain doesn't just have to be done by government officials and conservationists. Individuals can take advantage of the rainfall and capture rainwater for their own yards.
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Officials in California were understandably thrilled with the results.
"We're in great shape," said Jeffrey Mount, a professor emeritus at UC Davis and senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California's water center.
"It gives us comfort. For at least the next year, we know we're good on storage and will be able to meet customer demand. We're always happy to see the rain," added Chris Coburn, deputy director of the Santa Cruz City Water Department.
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