California: Photos show drought-parched reservoirs refilling after recent storms

Before & After: Northern California Reservoirs: The 2017 spate of winter rains has dramatically raised the water levels of many California reservoirs. In Santa Clara County, Lexington Reservoir is now at 105 percent of its nearly 21,000-acre-feet capacity, according to the Santa Clara Valley Water District's historical reservoir gauge information. The California Data Exchange lists San Luis Reservoir as having risen 40 feet, yet the immense water basin is only 70 percent full. Camanche Lake Reservoir, while located in San Joaquin County, is operated by the East Bay Municipal Utility District, and is now 78 percent full after rising 51 feet.
The water level at San Luis Reservoir near Los Banos, Calif., was only 48 percent of capacity at 451 feet on Wednesday, March 16, 2016. (Patrick Tehan/Bay Area News Group)
San Luis Reservoir jumped up to 69 percent of capacity, or 491 feet, after a series of January storms filled it back up, but the immense reservoir still has a way to go to be completely full. It was photographed on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017. (Gary Reyes/Bay Area News Group)
The water level at Lexington Reservoir near Los Gatos, Calif., was 599 feet or 23.5 percent of capacity on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015 due to the ongoing drought. (Patrick Tehan/Bay Area News Group)
Following the January storms that came through the Bay area, the water level is relatively high at Lexington Reservoir near Los Gatos, Calif., photographed on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017. (Patrick Tehan/Bay Area News Group)
The boat dock, which was temporarily relocated from one side of Camanche Lake Reservoir to another, sits in the low water levels at the south side of Camanche Reservoir in Wallace, Calif., on Tuesday, June 9, 2015. On this date, the lake was only 19 percent full. (Dan Rosenstrauch/Bay Area News Group)
Camanche Lake Reservoir, photographed on Friday, Jan. 13, 2017, is now at 78 percent of capacity, having risen 51 feet. (Kristopher Skinner/Bay Area News Group)

PUBLISHED: January 14, 2017 at 8:00 a.m. | UPDATED: July 20, 2017 at 10:56 a.m.

The 2017 spate of winter rains has dramatically raised the water levels of many California reservoirs.
In Santa Clara County, Lexington Reservoir is now at 105 percent of its nearly 21,000-acre-feet capacity, according to the Santa Clara Valley Water District’s historical reservoir gauge information.
The California Data Exchange lists San Luis Reservoir as having risen 40 feet, yet the immense water basin is only 70 percent full.
Camanche Lake Reservoir, while located in San Joaquin County, is operated by the East Bay Municipal Utility District, and is now 78 percent full after rising 51 feet.

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