In an aerial view, houseboats sit anchored on Lake Oroville at Bidwell Canyon Marina on February 14, 2023 in Oroville, California.
- Lake Oroville, California's second-largest reservoir, has experienced a dramatic rise in water levels after a series of atmospheric river storms in January.
- The storms triggered widespread flooding and damage while boosting the Sierra Nevada snowpack and the state's drought-stricken reservoirs.
- Photos taken in 2021 and 2023 show how much more full the lake is following the storms.
Lake Oroville, California's second-largest reservoir, has experienced a dramatic rise in water levels after a series of atmospheric river storms in January triggered widespread flooding while boosting the Sierra Nevada snowpack and the state's drought-stricken reservoirs.
The lake, which has several reservoirs and canals that supply water to 27 million residents, has reached 68% of its total capacity, up 28% from a couple months ago, according to data from the California Department of Water Resources.
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The boost in water supply comes after Oroville had plummeted to such dire levels that state officials in 2021 responded by shutting down the lake's hydroelectric power plant for the first time since the plant went into operation in 1967.
Previous record-low water levels at Oroville were triggered by drought conditions exacerbated by climate change. While California consistently experiences drought, climate change has fueled especially high temperatures and dry soil that have significantly reduced water runoff into the reservoirs.
Photos taken in 2021 and 2023 show how much more full Oroville is following the January storms:
Intake gates at the Hyatt Power Plant
Enterprise Bridge crosses over the lake
Dry banks rise above Oroville
Houseboats dwarfed by Oroville's banks
