“Standing here a year ago, I never would have guessed. Nobody in the world would have guessed.”
California has consistently been embroiled in drought conditions for years. The last recorded drought was in 2022, when Lake Casitas in Southern California marked a near-record low. This year, the lake is back to full capacity after two years — the fastest drought rebound in history.
Consistent wetter-than-average winter rain in 2023-2024, along with water conservation efforts throughout the state, are reasons for the comeback. The Casitas general manager, Mike Flood, told VC Star that this was the “fastest rebound in the lake’s history.”
Lake Casitas provides drinking water for the Ojai Valley and parts of Ventura through a reservoir. In 2022, the drinking water supply had dropped under 30%, and the Casitas Municipal Water District facilitated emergency measures in case the conditions did not improve. In April 2024, the reservoir reached full capacity for the first time since 2006, which had not happened previously since 1998…