As snowpacks begin to melt in California, aerial footage from early June shows Owen Lake reaching its largest size for 110 years.
The gif was created by amateur weatherman Colin McCarthy and shows Owens Lake, which covers 25 square miles in California’s eastern Sierra Nevada. The Los Angeles aqueduct drained the lake in 1913, but it has now made a huge comeback due to runoff created by California’s winter storms.
McCarthy stated that the lake has reached its largest size for about 110 years. NASA notes that although flash flooding and controlled flooding have occurred in the area before 2023, this latest flood was the first to be caused by heavy rainfall.
Golden State experienced extreme weather conditions in the same winter, from late 2022 to early 2023. These included atmospheric rivers and storms which led to flooding and heavy snowfall. Owens Lake, one of two bodies of water long lost to history that have returned due to excessive rainfall on the west coast, is just one example.
Tulare Lake was once the largest freshwater body west of the Mississippi. It disappeared completely in the 20th Century due to the poor management of water resources throughout the state. Tulare Lake is expected to flood in the Central Valley until 2024 due to melting snow and replenishment of the groundwater. This will cover roads, infrastructure and farmland.
