California has experienced a dramatic shift in its weather conditions over the last few months, with winter storms significantly improving drought conditions in the state. As of now, 64 percent of the state is drought free, and water restrictions have been lifted. However, with the influx of water comes the risk of floods and the need to improve methods for filling up depleted groundwater reservoirs.
The US regions of the U.S. The West that is currently experiencing the most flooding is the Salinas Valley, where recent rainfall ruptured a levee on the Pajaro River. In the southern Sierra Nevadas, a prolonged period of lower-elevation snowmelt has filled the small reservoirs to capacity, leading to water to spill into the foothills and the San Joaquin Valley.
California is challenged to find the best way to store its water, especially as groundwater stockpiles remain low. To help with this, the California government has proposed diverting more than 600,000 acres of the San Joaquin River floodwaters for storage, recharge and wildlife refuges.
Meanwhile, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted an ongoing extreme to exceptional drought over parts of the Southern High Plains, the Northwest U.S. As well as parts of New Mexico and Washington state in the northern Rocky Mountains and the Northern Rocky Mountains. With El Nio conditions beginning to take shape this summer, hotter and drier conditions could affect the northern U.S. And increased flooding along the Gulf Coast, the South-East and parts of California.
Snowpack in California's Southern Sierra Nevada is significantly higher than normal, surpassing even the 1982-83 benchmark year. As the temperatures rise, the snow will begin to melt, potentially leading to serious flooding in the valley below. Several evacuation warnings and orders have been issued in Tulare County, as operators try to release as much water as possible downstream.