California’s Tulare “ghost” lake reemerges

California’s Tulare Lake, a “ghost” lake that was dried up during the late 19^th and early 20^th 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.