North Bay reservoirs full after back-to-back atmospheric river storms

"The surge of water, more than 22,400 gallons a second, plunged from the foot of Warm Springs Dam, launching a fine mist above. That was the spectacle of abundance last week at Lake Sonoma, the North Bay's largest reservoir, where the U.S. Army Corps was releasing what dam managers call an "oversupply" - the welcome product of heavy runoff from recent storms."

"Lake Pillsbury, which is in the Eel River watershed but helps feed Lake Mendocino through a diversion that links the two basins, has more than doubled in volume since mid-December. It now sits at nearly 200% of its target for this time of year. Unlike the other two reservoirs, Pillsbury is more dependent on snowfall, with a storage curve that ramps up through May."

"The back-to-back atmospheric rivers that drenched the region beginning before Christmas and extending through the start of the new year have bolstered water reserves across the region, raising reservoirs many feet - to the seasonal brim for Lakes Sonoma and Mendocino, within the Russian River watershed. The inflow made for happy water engineers - steady early-season rains are a holiday gift in their world. As for the longer-term outlook, they struck a tone of cautious optimism just as the region entered a streak of warmer, dry days this week."

Heavy atmospheric rivers from before Christmas through early January produced substantial runoff that bolstered North Bay reservoirs. The U.S. Army Corps released more than 22,400 gallons per second from Warm Springs Dam as an oversupply response. Lake Pillsbury more than doubled since mid-December and sits near 200% of its seasonal target, driven partly by snowfall-dependent storage. Lake Mendocino rose about 35% to roughly 103% of its typical capacity for this time of year. Lake Sonoma also gained volume, leaving the watershed saturated. Water managers expressed cautious optimism amid a short spell of warmer, dry weather.

Read at The Mercury News