California’s snowpack in the Sierra Nevada and its system of dams are looking healthy in the wake of several weeks of rain and snow that defied experts’ predictions and pulled half of the state out of drought this week.
The photos were taken on a flight from Merced, in the heart of the Central Valley, and Los Angeles, Friday:
Eastman Lake and Buchanan Dam are seen east of Merced, California, with the Sierra Nevada in the background, March 3, 2023. (Joel Pollak / Breitbart News)
The Central Valley appears lush and green after recent storms, with the snow-capped Sierra Nevada in the background and Interstate 5 in the foreground. March 3, 2023. (Joel Pollak / Breitbart News)
Milnerton Lake sits behind the Friant dam on the San Joaquin River, east of Fresno, California, on March 3, 2023. (Joel Pollak / Breitbart News)
The Pine Flat dam and lake, constructed in 1954, sit beneath heavily snow-covered mountains in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. March 3, 2023 (Joel Pollak / Breitbart News)
Lake Isabella is seen beneath the southern Sierra Nevada in eastern Kern County. Several weeks of rain and snow have turned the oil-producing countryside below, normally dry and brown, a lush green. March 3, 2023 (Joel Pollak / Breitbart News)
The snowy high country of the Tehachapi Mountains north of Los Angeles, California, are visible on March 3, 2023. Many mountain communities were stranded by recent snowstorms. (Joel Pollak / Breitbart News)
More rain and snow are predicted for Northern California for this weekend, with more storms possible soon.
Many dams are above their average levels at this time of year.
San Luis Reservoir: ⬆ +1.3% in past 1 day, now 77.1% full. 0.90x seasonal average.
— California WaterBot (@waterbotca) March 2, 2023
The San Luis Reservoir in Merced County, California, is seen at 77.1% full on March 3, 2023. (Joel Pollak / Breitbart News)
Some may open their spillways as the spring snowmelt begins in a few weeks to minimize the risk of flooding and to provide water for river ecosystems.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the new biography, Rhoda: ‘Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order’. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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