From Drought to Drenched: Stunning Rebound of California’s Largest Reservoir

For the second year in a row, California’s largest reservoir filled to nearly 100 percent capacity.

Following consecutive wet winters, Shasta Lake in Northern California reached full capacity for the second year in a row, in time for summer 2024. As the state’s largest reservoir, crucial for irrigation, municipal water supplies, flood control, and more, it also neared 100 percent capacity in the spring 2023. The healthy cache of water in back-to-back years marked a significant recovery from the drought and low water levels experienced from 2019 to 2022.