'Nature gave us a lifeline': Southern California refills largest reservoir in dramatic fashion

[Zorro]

Following a series of winter storms that eased drought conditions across the state, Southern Californians celebrated a sight nobody has seen for several punishing years: water rushing into Diamond Valley Lake.

The massive reservoir — the largest in Southern California — was considerably drained during the state’s driest three years on record, with nearly half of the lake’s supply used to bolster minuscule allocations from state water providers.

But an extraordinarily wet winter allowed officials from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to turn on the taps in Hemet once again. Water transported from Northern California roared out of huge concrete valves Monday and into the blue lake at 600 cubic feet per second — marking an incredible turnaround for a region that only months ago had barely enough supplies to meet the health and safety needs of 6 million people.

“Nature gave us a lifeline in the face of climate whiplash,” said Adel Hagekhalil, MWD’s general manager, from the shore of the refilling lake. “We need to take this lifeline, replenish our resources, but continue to work and plan ahead.”

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-03-28/southern-california-refills-largest-reservoir

[Lovie777]

1. Oh my gosh.................

although many damages and some deaths, at this point in time the drought is somewhat over.

[634-5789]

2. Thanks! Great article.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. This is such good news! I saw this story this morning as I read the LA Times.

We get it 7 days a week, and read quite a lot of it.

I think it's a great newspaper, and I want to see it thrive.

Thanks for posting this wonderful story, my dear Zorro.

[msongs]

4. there was a ton of oppostion when that reservoir was built. saw it empty before the 1st water

went it.

[hunter]

5. They moved 150 million cubic yards of earth to build that reservoir.

It was an astonishing thing to see.

Originally the reservoir took water from the Colorado River. We know how that turned out.

It's now being filled with water from Northern California. That might not be a sustainable practice either.

Urban California will always have the water it needs, the only question is how much it will cost, both the dollar cost and the environmental cost.