To say it rained a lot this year is an understatement and the reservoirs in the City of San Diego have been filling up. To get a better idea on that we talked with Drew Kleis, San Diego’s public utilities assistant director. He said he likes the impressive rainfall totals.
Two reservoirs in San Diego County are almost 100% full, according to data released Monday. The City of San Diego updated its water levels information page on June 5, showing the Barrett Reservoir in Jamul and the Lower Otay Reservoir in Chula Vista are both over 96% filled. At its max capacity, the Barrett Reservoir would have a depth of 160.40 feet. The most recent measurements show it’s 96.5% full, according to the city.
With recent storm systems that swept through the west, California has seen more precipitation this year than normal, bringing the water supply stored in reservoirs — both locally and across the state — up from historic lows to levels that are some of the highest in years.
And with drought conditions having improved in much of California, experts say that the amount of water captured from this year’s particularly wet winter could help ease the impact of hotter, drier weather in San Diego, as the state recovers its depleted water supplies.
Given the recent Pacific and atmospheric river storms battering the entire state, San Diego reservoirs are filling up exponentially, especially within the city of San Diego. However, while the recent downpours have helped, it won’t entirely solve the region’s drought situation.
According to the city, local reservoirs have collected seven billion gallons of water from rain and runoff in just the past week alone. That’s enough water to supply all 1.4 million city residents for six weeks.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
