Environment

California Drought

California is experiencing the worst drought in its history, and the effects are being felt nationwide. Thus water issues have taken center stage in much of our reporting and the nation's.As the New York Times says, "Water has long been a precious resource in California, the subject of battles pitting farmer against city-dweller and northern communities against southern ones; books and movies have been made about its scarcity and plunder. Water is central to the state’s identity and economy, and a symbol of how wealth and ingenuity have tamed nature ..."As we continue through a fourth year of extreme drought conditions, you'll find all of our reporting on the related issues (and that of NPR and other member stations) in this centralized place.

PG&E Says Plumas County Water Bodies Look Roughly Same As Last Year

North State Public Radio

Published May 21, 2015 at 2:14 PM PDT

Pacific Gas and Electric Company said it expects no major changes to the water levels of Lake Almanor, Butt Valley Reservoir and Bucks Lake compared to last year.

Water levels on all three will be below historical averages this summer due to continued drought conditions.

All three man-made lakes are carefully managed for hydropower generation. They also serve recreational purposes and provide wildlife habitat.

Although total precipitation in the Almanor basin this year is running nearly three quarters of normal, most of that fell as rain, not snow. PG&E expects the scant snow to deliver just a quarter of the usual amount of runoff. That means far less water replenishing the lake once summer arrives.

Company hydrologists expect water levels at Almanor three to five feet lower than last year, while Bucks Lake will be about seven feet higher than last year. Butt Valley Reservoir’s water level is expected to remain close to normal.