Water Plan Update

Statewide Reservoir Levels Continue to Decline

As the drought continues, California’s reservoir levels have dropped dramatically, especially in the state’s major reservoirs which currently sit at 43% of historical averages. While comparisons to the 1976 water year have been made, Department of Water Resources Chief Hydrologist Maury Roos says statewide conditions are more similar to those of the 1992 water year.

“It’s probably comparable with what it was at the end of 1992, the end of 1992 water year, which was a six year period of drought,” said Roos in an interview with Capitol Public Radio.

As of November 11, DWR figures show that major reservoir levels are as follows:

Reservoir % of Capacity % of Historical Average
San Luis Reservior 20% 36%
New Melones 21% 37%
Trinity Lake 23% 35%
Shasta Reservoir 24% 40%
Lake Oroville 26% 43%
Folsom Lake 30% 60%
Don Pedro Reservoir 37% 58%

According to DWR’s current data, Lake Oroville is currently at 915,220 acre-feet – which is only 33,200 acre-feet more than the record low-level of 882,000 acre-feet for the reservoir.