Two consecutive wet winters have filled a southern California reservoir for the first time since 1998, ensuring about two decades of water for tens of thousands of people and hundreds of farms north of Los Angeles.
Lake Casitas, located in the Ojai Valley, reached its capacity last week, when water began trickling down its spillway, the Ventura County Star reported Saturday.
The April 23 event marked only the eighth time the spillway has operated since 1978, according to the Star.
The drought-plagued reservoir was less than 30% full two years ago and the Casitas Municipal Water District was considering emergency measures if conditions didn't improve, but it now holds about 20 years' worth of water, district President Richard Hajas said.
The rebound was the fastest recorded since the dam that created the lake was finished in 1958, said Mike Flood, the district's general manager.
"It's one of the most beautiful things of the whole environment around it," district board member Mary Bergen told the SFGate website. "Everyone is excited, including myself."
Lake Casitas holds 254,000 acre-feet of water, an amount that's equivalent to 82.8 billion gallons.
The water district serves between 60,000 and 70,000 people and hundreds of farms in western Ventura County, according to its website.
Lake Casitas is also a popular recreation area that draws more than 750,000 visitors a year.
