The Surprising 2023 Comeback of Tulare Lake
The winter of 2022-2023 brought rain like nobody had seen in ages. California got hit by a series of powerful storms called “atmospheric rivers“ that dumped tons of water. These weren’t your average rainstorms. They filled reservoirs, caused flooding, and buried the mountains in snow. When spring came, all that snow started melting. The water rushed down the mountains and overwhelmed all the canals and pumps meant to keep the lake bed dry. Nature said, “Remember me?”
By April 2023, the reborn lake covered 120,000 acres, about 180 square miles. At its highest point, it flooded more than 10% of Kings County! Hundreds of farm buildings and homes went underwater. Satellites tracked the whole thing, showing dark blue water spreading across the tan and green patchwork of farms.
By March 2024, the lake had shrunk to around 4,500 acres. But some water experts think it could grow again if more storms come. Mother Nature can be pretty stubborn when she wants to be.
