Tulare Lake 2: Just when you thought it was safe, goes back the water.
Part of Death Valley also flooded recently. I saw news footage of people kayaking in that foot-deep, brackish water. I also anticipate seeing pictures of massive desert blooms in the days to come.
Interestingly, the Salton Sea hasn’t changed much, level-wise.
…Hydraulic Boogaloo
I just wet my pants!
I was just there in Death Valley last month. Lake Manly, as it is called, is huge considering it is almost dry. But it’s nowhere near the size of Tulare Lake of 2023.
This is my car in Badwater Basin next to Lake Manly. The circle on the left is mile marker 18, 18 miles south of Furnace Creek Inn. I took that pic to compare for when I return next.
The Salton Sea, well, that’s another story.
The above pic was taken roughly here on the map:
Great pic, @Bullitt . Thanks for posting it. I haven’t been to Death Valley in ages, but I’ve never see that much water in that area. Cool to see.
On our drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles the other day we stopped by the formerly flooded Tulare Lake, and amazingly it is gone! They are tilling the soil and getting it ready for crops. In a few months it’ll be green. Amazing.
I thought it would take years for the flood waters to recede, but in less than one year it is dry. It’s a visual shocker that shows how much water our crops need.
There’s a little remaining water on the east side, but we did not see that because we were on the west side.
Here are some pictures comparing one year ago and this week.
Last year — flooded (note the circle):
This week — dry (note the circle):
Last year — flooded (note the 2 circles):
This week — dry (note the 2 circles):
Other pics, wet and dry. Last year I had the white Jeep. This year I have a green outback —
My Tulare Lake pictures to date, from 4 separate visits:
◆ Tulare Lake 2023-04-23 — 1st visit, flooded ➜
◆ Tulare Lake 2023-04-28 — 2nd visit, includes Corcoran CA ➜
◆ Tulare Lake 2023-06-18 — 3rd visit, a hot summer day ➜
◆ Tulare Lake 2024-03-27 — 4th visit, floodwaters have dried up ➜
I am amazed by the flood of Tulare Lake.
This is an article from the San Francisco Chronicle and this link should get you through the paywall.
From that article, at its max in the spring of 2023, the flooded lake was approx 185 sq mi. Lake Tahoe is 191 sq mi. Many roads are still too water-logged to reopen, and some levees need repair after being breached or weakened.