CA lakes close to full capacity amid elevated flood risk from snowmelt
As California agencies brace for possible summer floods, officials are warning visitors of Northern waterways to take precaution as record-breaking snow packs built up from winter storms continue to liquify. Both Lake Oroville and Lake Shasta reported near-full capacity Monday. Shasta Reservoir, the state’s largest man-made lake located on the upper Sacramento River near the city of Redding, is now higher than it has been in years. As of May 15, Lake Shasta is 98% full and just a few feet shy of its 2019 high, according to the Bureau of Reclamation. Water levels have risen nearly 150 feet since the start of 2023.