Refreshing rain

Recent heavy rains have been a boon to North State lakes, some of which are now filled higher than their historical averages. As of Monday (March 21), Lake Oroville is at 86 percent of capacity, which is 110 percent of its historical average. Last year on the same day, the lake was at 59 percent of total capacity, or 75 percent of its historical average. The state’s Department of Water Resources tracks daily water level information at major reservoirs and presents the data in easy-to-read charts available at cdec.water.ca.gov. The data show that, though Lake Shasta and Folsom Lake are similarly ahead of the historic curve, most California lakes are still much lower than usual.