Southern California's largest natural lake has swelled with water following a series of atmospheric rivers that have battered the state.
Lake Elsinore, in western Riverside County, currently lies at an elevation of 1248.13 feet. The lake has not been this high since 2011, according to Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District data.
The lake covers around 3,000 acres and sits at the end of the San Jacinto River Watershed. It is fed mainly through snowmelt in the surrounding mountains. The shoreline stretches for around 14 miles.
Like many California lakes, Lake Elsinore has suffered at the hands of prolonged drought conditions in the state in recent years, not receiving as much water as it should have.
California has seen very heavy rainfall recently, caused by a series of atmospheric rivers.
When the state sees an increase in precipitation, it often means snow settles at higher elevations. As the weather warms in the spring, this snow will then melt and feed into the state's reservoirs and rivers. This means that the more snow, the more water there is for the lakes.
While the most atmospheric rivers did not build surrounding snowpack levels to above average, they certainly improved conditions.
In more recent days, the state has seen intense blizzards, leading to a dumping of snow landing in the Sierra Nevada. This also may have increased snowpack levels.
If Lake Elsinore receives any more water, officials may have to divert it into the Santa Ana River. This would prevent the potential flooding that comes with an excess of water.
In the summer months Lake Elsinore receives an influx of visitors, who come to the area to boat and swim.
The higher water levels could mean a busier lake season this year, local media has reported.
"Lake Elsinore's ideal operating level is around 1,240 feet in elevation above sea level," Beau Davis, general manager of Lake Elsinore's Launch Pointe, told KTLA. "We're currently almost at 1,248, so we've risen 8 feet over the last couple of years and specifically a good 6 to 7 feet over the last six months."
Last year, the state saw such intense winter storms and precipitation that it brought a record amount of snowpack in the surrounding mountains. This was welcomed by the state's reservoirs, which had previously been at record low levels due to prolonged drought conditions.
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Correction 03/07/24, 2:50 a.m. ET: This article was updated to correct the status of Lake Elsinore, which is the largest lake in Southern California, rather than the whole state.
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