Largest Lake in the west.
 

Tulare lake is forming again due to the rain and pending snow melt.
Last time was 1983
Farmers want to pump the water out, others want the aquifer replenished.

West of where ;)? That's still cool.... won't last :(....

Used to be in California, pumped it dry growing cotton. Blew out a levee to save the populated areas.

Tulare Lake's size fluctuated depending on rain and snow fall. It covered in 690 square miles in 1879. Lake Tahoe is 191 square miles.

Wow, Tulare 1875

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._Lake_1875.png

and 1898
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...kebed_1898.png

Wow:

https://www.kvpr.org/local-news/2023-03-24/california-ramps-up-help-as-tulare-lake-floods-farms-homes

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1679750549.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1679750625.jpg

For the Californian's:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1679750625.jpg

Ha! Or “bomb cyclone”.

So idiots in the government allowed homes to be built in a dry lake bed and now they are flooding. What a surprise. I bet the people that built along the rivers in the flood plain are having flooding issues as well.

Ya can't stop mother nature or stupid politicians looking to make short term cash and stupid decisions.

Wow that sucker is huge . I wonder how long it'll take to go dry again?

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-03-24/as-tulare-lake-reappears-floodwaters-raise-tensions-in-san-joaquin-valley

In Kalifornia, six months.

Maybe not that long. They ought to be doing this regularly, flood the dry lakes and empty lowlands. Might slow down the subsidence

This is a natural cycle, but may not be yearly. Man has a long history of growing crops in dangerous places because 1 they are flat and 2 they are very fertile. Folks love to live and grow crops in the shadow of volcanos too.

Clearly, if this lake floods once every 100 years, the secret is to 1 build your home on a hill (you may have to have the hill brought in and built up) and 2 be prepared for when that happens because "once every 100 years" could mean 5 years out of 10 and then not again for a couple of hundred or it could be different. Climate changes and goes through cycles.

It sucks and is a shame for these folks that are impacted now.

It's amazing to see mother nature doing her thing though.

The current 220% snowpack represents about 58 inches of water. If it all melts fast there are going to be a lot of tree fruit dying of root rot in flooded orchards say the tree farmers. All the farmers want the water pumped away. The past pumping lowered ground levels and there are those who want to conserve the water for the aquifer and restore wetlands for the future

That's just crazy talk.

More info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulare_Lake

I get it. It sucks to be those farmers today, and I'm sure it'll have an impact on fruit sales and prices and not least of all the farmers and their families. I assume many/most are still families and not corporations (maybe I'm wrong). But while I understand, I think it's very clear that what is best for everyone and Cali in the long run is to leave the water where it is and let nature take it's course.

I'm guessing the farmers don't have insurance coverage for this sort of thing which is a shame.

Doesn't CA have a need for fresh water?

I was going to say "you forgot the green," but I get the feeling that this is a genuine question, not sarcasm. Yep, enormous need for fresh water. Extreme drought and water rationing. So much drought and such high water util (for people and crops) that the ground is sinking (subsidence) due to water loss.

It was a genuine question. They need to learn to harness this so it can be used throughout the state. Didn't they have a drought for the past 3 years or so and a lake was shrinking?

It is not the people of CA but those that are in office. Come voting day, we forget these things fast. We have not had a big water project in over 30 years and I don't thing there are any in the plans. Yes, we need to store that water. Millions of gallons has gone into the ocean. Now, why can't we save some of it knowing a big rain like this will hit us eventually. Our rivers are over flowing and we will be back to square one in 3 to 4 years scream at me to not take 2 hour showers and keep my lawn from being green. Seriously, anyone see what's being dumped into the ocean during the drought to save some fish yet, we introduce Strip bass into the bay and its food source is this tiny fish we are dumping fresh water to save from extinction. This doesn't count on the amount of water the illegals use daily and they keep on letting them in.

There are plans for the future: the 1.8 million acre Sites Reservoir in NorCal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sites_Reservoir

One of the wonders of the world is the politicians of Oklahoma foresaw the need to provide fresh water to a growing population. Oklahoma City was founded on April 22, 1889. In 1919 they built the first of many to come reservoirs. Even to this day, the city owns a large area of land near a current lake. The entire area is just undeveloped area, and builders are constantly wanting to develop the area, and they have a hard NO, because it is where a future man made lake will be built when needed.

We have plenty of water reserves currently, and only lack the processing capabilities. New and additional water treatment plants are on the plans.

Through the history of the state and city, we have had more than our share of low life crooked politicians, but they all seemed to understand fresh water was an absolute necessity for the city to survive.

Politicos here understand that just as well, but chose to profit and consolidate power, rather than work in the best interests of their constituents.