June 19, 2023
California’s second-largest reservoir is unrecognizable when compared to photos taken just a few years ago — a reassuring sight for Californians accustomed to exposed lake beds due to years of drought.
Lake Oroville is a human-made lake created in the 1960s by the construction of the Oroville Dam. When it’s full, it offers more than 160 miles of shoreline, but in recent years, it’s been so bone-dry that boats couldn’t even use some of the launches. Getty Images photojournalist Justin Sullivan visited the lake last week and photographed the remarkable rebound after a rainy winter.
As of June 17, 2023, the California Department of Water Resources has listed Lake Oroville at 100% of its total capacity. That’s 129% of its historical average for the date. In contrast, conditions were dire on Memorial Day 2021 at Lake Oroville.
At that time, the reservoir was at 37% of capacity. Boat ramps were closed, 120 houseboats were pulled from the marina and there were even worries the power plant would have to shut down. In December 2022, before the winter rains came in force, Lake Oroville was at 27% of capacity.
In an aerial view, the Enterprise Bridge crosses over a section of Lake Oroville that was previously underwater on July 22, 2021, in Oroville, California. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.
In an aerial view, the Enterprise Bridge passes over a completely full Lake Oroville on June 15, 2023, in Oroville, California. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.
Low water levels are visible at Lime Saddle Marina at Lake Oroville on July 22, 2021, in Paradise, California. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.
A parking sign stands in the water at Lake Oroville on June 15, 2023, in Oroville, California.
2023 Lake Oroville. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.
California drought officials warn we shouldn’t get too lax about water conservation, though. It takes more than a year to recover from a drought, especially one as severe as what California has seen in recent years.
Ryan Endean, a spokesperson for the California Department of Water Resources, told SFGATE in January, “It’s just really important to remember that we are in a continued drought emergency; we’re kind of dealing with this extreme flood during an extreme drought. And so we’re of course encouraging Californians to continue to conserve water and make conservation a way of life.”
A picnic table sits partially submerged in the waters of Lake Oroville on June 15, 2023, in Oroville, California. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.
In an aerial view, the Enterprise Bridge crosses over a section of Lake Oroville that was previously underwater on July 22, 2021, in Oroville, California. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.
In an aerial view, the Enterprise Bridge passes over a completely full Lake Oroville on June 15, 2023, in Oroville, California. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.
Low water levels are visible at Lime Saddle Marina at Lake Oroville on July 22, 2021, in Paradise, California. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.
A parking sign stands in the water at Lake Oroville on June 15, 2023, in Oroville, California.
Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.
2021 Lake Oroville. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.
2023 Lake Oroville. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.
Water levels have risen dramatically at Lake Oroville between 2021, and June 2023, as seen in photos by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.
California drought officials warn we shouldn’t get too lax about water conservation, though. It takes more than a year to recover from a drought, especially one as severe as what California has seen in recent years.
Ryan Endean, a spokesperson for the California Department of Water Resources, told SFGATE in January, “It’s just really important to remember that we are in a continued drought emergency; we’re kind of dealing with this extreme flood during an extreme drought. And so we’re of course encouraging Californians to continue to conserve water and make conservation a way of life.”
A picnic table sits partially submerged in the waters of Lake Oroville on June 15, 2023, in Oroville, California. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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Breath-taking scenery. Lake Oroville must have plenty of water in it for it to be so beautiful. Never been there but you can bet that's on my bucket list.
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