California’s Tulare Lake, a “ghost” lake that was dried up during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, has recently reemerged due to record snowfall.
Tulare Lake is located roughly between Los Angeles and San Francisco and was the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River before it was dried up. It is fed with water by rivers and streams running from the Sierra Nevada, which were dammed or diverted more than a century ago.
The dry land that was created accommodated crops and cattle, with the region growing to be the nation’s largest dairy-producing county.
However, record snowfall in California this year resulted in the lake reemerging from the Sierra Nevada’s snow melting, causing houses and farms to flood. According to Kings County agricultural consultant, Mark Grewal, flooding may cause an estimated $2 billion in lost revenue and damages.
Grewal also commented how “Possibly 100,000-plus acres are going to be underwater for possibly two years”.
The reasons for these possibilities are that, according to climate scientist, Daniel Swain, at UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, about 95% of Sierra Nevada’s snow has not melted yet.
In addition to this, a layer of relatively impermeable clay is present in the area, which makes it slow for the water to dissipate.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that this is not the first time this has happened, as flooding has also been recorded in 1997 and 1983, both years with heavy storms during the winter.
Sources: abcnews.go.com, www.foxweather.com, www.latimes.com
A groundbreaking innovation is transforming Melbo...
On the evening of January 27, 2025, tragedy struc...
Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Internationa...
The Brenner Base Tunnel (BBT), an ambitious rail...
In a densely populated area of Kolkata, a four-st...
The destructive force of Storm Eowyn has left an...