California

California’s second largest reservoir is shrinking

Published

2 years ago

July 2, 2024

California’s second largest reservoir is shrinking

A new study from California’s Department of Water Resources (DWR) has found that Lake Oroville is shrinking.

Water levels at the state’s second largest reservoir are in a much better place than they were two years ago, when severe drought gripped much of California. Two back-to-back wet winters, accompanied by atmospheric rivers, have supplemented the water levels at many California reservoirs and contributed greatly to their recovery, although the atmospheric rivers also caused flooding and mudslides.

Atmospheric rivers are a “long, narrow region in the atmosphere—like rivers in the sky—that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Despite Lake Oroville’s recovery, water officials recently discovered that its capacity was shrinking and that the lake had lost 3 percent of capacity since it was created in the 1960s.

The Enterprise Bridge is pictured over a full Lake Oroville on June 15, 2023, in Oroville, California. Water officials recently learned that the lake’s capacity is shrinking.

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“DWR utilized the latest terrain-mapping technology to determine if there have been any changes in the lake’s volume to optimize how the reservoir is operated and ensure accuracy in estimating California’s water supply availability,” a DWR webpage said.

“What resulted were highly detailed 3D topographic terrain models of the bottom of the lake, which DWR engineers used to calculate a new storage capacity of 3,424,753 acre-feet, approximately 3 percent less than previously estimated,” the webpage added.

The DWR attributed the loss to “weather swings and almost six decades of service.” Newsweek reached out to the DWR by email for comment.

Despite the loss, DWR officials said Lake Oroville remains the state’s second largest reservoir, behind only Lake Shasta.

“Having updated storage capacity data allows us to operate Lake Oroville in a more efficient manner,” said John Yarbrough, the DWR’s deputy director of the State Water Project.

“It ensures we are providing adequate flood storage protection during winter months and accurately accounts for the state’s water supply, which is especially important as we experience climate change-driven weather extremes,” he said.

During the winter months, water officials occasionally release water from the reservoir to provide flood mitigation for downstream communities, such as in February when atmospheric rivers brought a deluge of rain to the area. Once California enters its dry season, officials transition to retaining as much water as possible in the reservoir.

Lake Oroville’s water levels began rising last December and reached full capacity in May. The levels have been steadily declining over the past few weeks as California enters its dry season.

However, the lake is in a much better state than it was in 2022. As of Tuesday, Lake Oroville’s water levels were at 887 feet, only 12 feet below full pool of 900 feet. During the summer of 2022, the water levels were at only 750 feet.

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California

Loved ones search for missing 15-year-old Southern California girl

Published

9 hours ago

April 5, 2026

Press Room

Loved ones search for missing 15-year-old Southern California girl

Loved ones are searching for a Southern California girl who has been missing for more than six months.

Keylin Reyes-Moreno, 15, was reported missing on Sept. 22, 2025, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).

Reyes-Moreno was last seen in the Pacoima area.

She is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 120 pounds. She has brown hair and dark brown eyes.

Keylin Reyes-Moreno, 15, was last seen in Pacoima on Sept. 22, 2025. (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children)

She may have been heading to the Los Angeles area when she disappeared.

Her family did not mention any health or mental issues that would’ve contributed to her disappearance. They have not heard from her since and are very concerned for her well-being.

Anyone who may know Keylin Reyes-Moreno’s whereabouts or has information on the case is asked to call NCMEC at 1-800-843-5678 or the Los Angeles Police Department at 877-275-5273.

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California

Springs Fire in southern California reaches 45% containment as evacuations continue

Published

21 hours ago

April 4, 2026

Press Room

Springs Fire in southern California reaches 45% containment as evacuations continue

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Crews were making progress Saturday battling a fast-growing and smoky wildfire in southern California that broke out Friday morning, prompting mandatory evacuations and warnings.

Now encompassing roughly 6.3 square miles (about 16 square kilometers) east of Moreno Valley in Riverside County, the Springs Fire was 45% percent contained on Saturday, according to a state website. It was 25% contained on Friday.

More than a dozen zones in the county remained under mandatory evacuation orders or evacuation warnings, while six have been dropped. It was not immediately known how many households were affected by the orders.

Firefighters were battling strong winds. The National Weather Service issued an advisory for 15 mph to 20 mph winds, with gusts up to 45 mph, into Saturday afternoon. An air quality alert has also been issued for harmful fine particle pollution levels due to wildfire smoke.

Hundreds of people have been battling the blaze using helicopters, engines and water tenders. It’s located in a populated unincorporated part of Riverside County, in a recreational area near the city of Moreno Valley, which has a population of roughly 200,000. The city is 10 miles southeast of Riverside and 64 miles east of Los Angeles.

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California

A fast-growing wildfire in windy Southern California triggers evacuations

Published

1 day ago

April 3, 2026

Press Room

A fast-growing wildfire in windy Southern California triggers evacuations

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A smoky and fast-growing wildfire Friday in windy Southern California has prompted multiple evacuation orders and warnings.

The Springs Fire broke out at around 11 a.m. Friday and by the evening had grown to about 5.47 square miles (14.17 square kilometers), with fire crews starting to contain it. The cause of the fire east of Moreno Valley in Riverside County is under investigation. It was not immediately known how many households are under evacuation warnings or orders.

The fire was burning in a populated — but not densely so — unincorporated part of Riverside County, in a recreational area near the city of Moreno Valley, which has a population of roughly 200,000. The city is 10 miles (16 kilometers) southeast of Riverside and 64 miles (103 kilometers) east of Los Angeles.

Springs Fire In Moreno Valley Explodes To Burn Over 3,500 Acres — A firefighting aircraft sprays red flame retardant at the site of the Springs Fire, on Friday.Qian Weizhong / VCG via Getty Images

“It’s windy out there,” said Maggie Cline De La Rosa, a public information officer for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in Riverside County.

Alex Izaguirre, a spokesperson for the Cal Fire Riverside County, said the wind is “spreading the smoke,” prompting concerned calls from residents in neighboring cities who can see and smell the smoke.

The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for San Bernardino and Riverside County valleys through Saturday afternoon, with gusts of up to 50 mph (80 kph) expected.

“Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result,” the advisory read.

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