The following statement was published on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lake Mendocino Facebook page:
Why is Lake Mendocino so low?
Even with recent rain, drought conditions beginning in 2020 have caused severely low storage levels into 2021.
As measured in Ukiah, recorded rainfall for 2020 was 11.32 inches, which is 31% of the average rainfall (37.01 inches) and the second lowest recorded rainfall since 1893!
Lake Mendocino relies on year-to-year rainfall to fill as well as water diverted from the Potter Valley Project for supply.
We are hopefully more rain will fall the rest of February and into March, but at this time we do not know how this drought will impact recreation (boating, fishing, & swimming, ect.) at the Lake this summer.
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and zero efforts to ever add capacity when it is super low… oh gee the truth is just what it really is… what a nothingburger…
The December 2020 Ombudsman Bill (the COVID bill) included authorization for Army Corps to expedite the feasibility study to raise Coyote Valley Dam.