UPDATED JULY 15, 2022
Folsom, Calif.- July has arrived and dry season has settled in. An exceptionally dry season has exacerbated fire and drought concerns for 2022. Following early winter rain and snow that walloped California with major snowstorms in December, optimistic hopes of a wet winter were dashed. While the 2021 deluge did bring sizable relief to our drought-plagued state, a steady flow of winter precipitation failed to materialize.
Among the largest reservoirs in California, Folsom Lake and Lake Oroville have seen the largest increase statewide to date this rainy season. Folsom Lake, a critical water supply to the Sacramento region was recently among the most depleted reservoirs.
After dropping to 22 percent, Folsom now stands just over 100% of average at 72 percent capacity. Lake Oroville, which at one point was forced to shut off it hydropower after dropping to 22 percent, now sits at 45 percent according to the California Department of Water Resources.