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OROVILLE, Calif. – Lake Oroville, California’s second-largest reservoir, has reached full capacity for the second consecutive year, state officials announced.
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) said on Monday that Lake Oroville has reached 100% capacity, marking a crucial milestone in water management efforts.
“This is great news for ensuring adequate water supply for millions of Californians & environmental needs & we continue to manage both while maintaining flood protection for downstream communities,” the department said.
Lake Oroville, serving 27 million Californians, currently holds over 3.5 million acre-feet of water, benefiting from consecutive wet winters California experienced.
The DWR anticipates further planned releases from the lake’s dam in the upcoming weeks to accommodate snowmelt runoff.
Lake Oroville trails Shasta Lake as the state’s largest reservoir, with Shasta Lake reported at 97% capacity as of Monday, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Despite Lake Oroville reaching capacity and other reservoirs nearing their volume, the state will only allocate 40% of the water to cities and irrigation districts in the upcoming year, according to the outlet.
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