In the wake of the deluge of rain that battered California at the start of the year, many of the state’s most important reservoirs and lakes have seen water levels rise. The increase in water levels between last fall and now at two key California reservoirs—Lake Oroville and Lake Shasta—can be seen clearly in photographs taken from space by NASA’s Operational Land Imager (OLI) on the Landsat 8 satellite and by the OLI-2 sensor on Landsat 9. … As of January 29, 2023, when the most recent picture was taken, Lake Shasta’s water levels stood at 986.93 feet above sea level, according to the California Department of Water Resources, amounting to around 56 percent of its capacity, and 87 percent of the average water levels for this time of year. On November 18, when the first picture was taken, the lake’s water levels were measured at 917.95 feet above sea level, around 31 percent of the lake’s capacity.

Related articles: 

• Los Angeles Times: Dramatic photos show Lake Oroville’s rise after epic storms
• Yale Environment 360: California Reservoirs Refilled by Winter Deluges, Satellite Images Show
• Fox 26 News – Fresno: Valley remains in moderate drought despite impressive rain amount this winter