Years of drought followed by the recent pounding storms to hit the Bay Area and Northern California has turned water watching into a spectator sport.

It has been a spectacular show this month. The formula is different for every watershed and every lake.Lakes in the foothills of the Bay Area are fed 100 percent by rain. Those above 8,000 feet elevation are fed 100 percent by snowmelt. In the foothills of the Sierra, Cascades and Shasta-Siskiyous, it’s a volatile mix.