Lake Shasta Update: High Water, High Risks - A February 2024 Deep Dive
As Lake Shasta's water levels surge to unprecedented heights, a looming question arises: why hasn't flood control started yet?
Welcome to the Lake Shasta Update for February 2024. Water levels in California's largest reservoir continue to rise dramatically. This is something everyone in California needs to be aware of, especially as we compare the current situation to the past years at Lake Shasta.
Starting off, we'll take a close look at the current water level elevations and see how they stack up against previous years. We'll also examine the reservoir's capacity to understand just how much more water it can handle. This is crucial because, typically, the Bureau of Reclamation and the Army Corps of Engineers, who manage Shasta Dam and flood control for California, would start flood control measures when the reservoir is more than 70-75% full, especially with more storms on the horizon. So, why haven't they started yet?
In this episode, we're digging into why flood control hasn't kicked off. It's a bit baffling, considering the pattern we've seen in the past and the current risk levels. I'll also walk you through what flood control usually involves and what the Bureau of Reclamation's area manager has said recently about the situation. It seems like they might be waiting a bit too long this time around, and that's concerning.
Thank you for visiting timeBomb, there is a lot to discuss in this episode so please join the conversation in the comment section below. Also, please consider subscribing, I really appreciate your support.
California Department of Water Resources (the place to go for California water level statistics): cdec.water.ca.gov/index.html
Bureau of Reclamation Shasta Dam Site: www.usbr.gov/mp/ncao/shasta-d...
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:08 Lake Shasta Stats
02:40 No Flood Control?
04:53 What is Flood Control?
#lakeshasta #flood #california #sacramento
I"'ve seen Lake Shasta full and no one was concerned about flooding over the past 50 years. Why now? Nothing has changed over the years and no leaks have been reported or design flaws for that matter.
Climate change hysteria.
They are under extreme pressure to save as much water as they can. It's a gamble on what the weather can do in the coming days. The problem is as inflows increase so does the every tribrietary that flows into the Sacramento River below Shasta dam which leads to flooding downstream. If inflows jeopardize flood control than releases must be increased to prevent over filling Lke Shasta. The end result is major flooding downstream due to increased run off from atmospheric River events and increased water released from Lake Shasta. 9 straight days of rain in this area could pose a problem.
@@dwainsellers6453you explained why not to release water at this time.
& not thru with drought yet. Keep the water!
I recall driving over Lake Shasta in 1977. It was spooky. It was so low you could see old railway bridges and old Hwy 99 that are submerged today.
Those were both visible just a few years ago.
I saw it too, left California for Washington State that year. I remember the brown water in the car washes and bricks in the water tanks of our toilet, illegal to water your lawn.
Winter of 77 was year the 7+ year drought broke. I remember!
Largest lightning storm in San Jose I had just returned from Maui was Jan. 6th 1978
You drove over the lake? That's quit a feat.
Part of a dam's job is to limit downstream flooding. If the outflows stayed high after Jan 18, it would have led to high water downstream. Literally was doing it's job for flood control by reducing flow rates.
Which eventually leads to serious flooding. Because people forget that once forty or fifty years the impoundment will not be large enough to handle a fast melt off, and tthe gates will open. And then you get some clown posse trying to whatever entity manages the dam for causing the flood. Or, in Idaho you get a group with deep pockets, buying up high and flood stage water rights which have not been used in 75-years, and suing because the Vern,ent took their water rights by not allowing the flooding. They ignore that the dam and related irrigation system have provided. Them with water for the entire growing season for over fifty years. I am still a proponent of purposefully going to full flood stage for 24-hours at least at least once per decade to remind the public what the flood looks like, and where the flood plain is. It would go a long ways in keeping local governments from changing zoning in flood plains to allow residential construction.
You know, you have a pretty good point there.
What is your snow pack? This has been a warmer winter than last year. You have less storage, you must capture rain as you are lacking snow.
Correct. That's why they aren't releasing water.
@@jesse75 70% of lake shastas water is from rain and 30% from snow melt.
Snow pack is below average.
You are monitoring the situation ? Well, in the past BR did a poor job of water control. Also, we don't need the water from Trinity Lake, so let it fill up. This year they are going to get it right. I live in Shasta Lake. Many of us " monitor " the lake. My neighbor works at the Dam, he keeps us updated on what's going on this year. Full lake this year and plenty of cold water for winter Chinook. Bridge Bay will boom with tourists enjoying the lake this summer. My daughter in summer works at Bridge Bay. It was nice to see an aerial shot on the place.
Great report!
Lake Oroville is also high, which may not leave enough room for too many atmospheric rivers. It's at 842 feet and DWR is having a problem with reservoir elevation data errors right now
two weeks ago, you did a vid regarding the current low snowpack, which is likely one of the reasons they want the lake relatively full. Maybe they are following your worry about snowpack levels
The folks controlling Shasta are professionals. They do not always get it right, but they are a lot better at this than we are. Let them do their job in peace. This is nothing but poppycock. OK, it's a well made vid, I'll give you that, who ever you are.
your graphic in the video says Lake Mead instead of Lake Shasta.
Was about to say the same thing, seems some slide were re-used
I appreciate the in-depth reporting. Though not "sexy" enough for attention in the daily news cycles, this is critical for California and, therefore, the whole US. Great work.
No wimpering , or knee jerk reactions , please.
It’s rained the most ever in the last this past couple of months compared to the last ten years!! I’ve been in SF for the past ten years! This has been the most wet winter! Back in the early 80s we had snails around the house. We got them back this year with all the rain!!
I live in Shasta Lake. It's cold too. We are getting tired of it, but it will be gone soon. A great summer is ahead !
I live near Lake Shasta. Fill that sucker up! Winter can end here overnight, then there's no water to fill it, and the drought starts over. The top of the lake is biggest and takes longest to fill. If we get some freak late rain, open those top spillway gates a bit. Yes, watching the high flows in the river is bothersome. It's just going in the ocean. Good argument for building offstream dams south of here to catch the excess for the next induced drought, which WILL happen
nice lightning bolt ''catch''' and watch out for this weekend....MORE RAIN ??....⁉
I do not agree with your sky is falling alert. Shasta is doing a great job in saving future water from possable drough this summer. In the past Shasta was being super cautious and dumping way to much water leaving the state in a very bad place for fresh drinking water. Let them at Shasta adjusting water levels with a little risk in saving just a little more than past years. Once calif finishes the new water reservoir where they can pump water from Sacramento River and save that to support future droughts then let Shasta go back to being over cautious again in that we will have the new reserves. I am just saying your robotic voice does not have my vote to do what it is claiming.
Releases will be tripled tonight. They have been releasing on average 5000 cfs, it is going to be increased to 15000 cfs. In 2022 the Bureau continued to release large amounts of water because "there is going to be plenty of snow melt" . It was the worst water year we've had.
I have full faith in the dam managers, and not some doom and gloom video creater. Shasta is just the largest part of the system. There is still plenty of storage, and releases can be increased greatly. And with below normal snowpack melting snow is not a major concern, and the main factor in high flood events. I worked at DWR for over two decades.
@@dalesuhre6522yes save it all just fill it up to the top we got nine days of rain coming I'm just glad I don't live below Shasta Dam
They should invest in "overflow" reservoirs.....mini reservoirs that catch the excess upstream, and release when needed...
At least Shasta is in order.. tomorrow an atmospheric river sweeps in. I can see why you voice concern.
Fear monger. While the BR has it under control and managed perfect this year.
Thank you so much for using feet instead of meters. I am sick and tired of hearing meters always mentioned. I'm very glad the water level is rising to near normal conditions
I swear they can't never be happy. "It's too empty" "it's too full" make up your mind!
drum (tainter) gates can be opened under load (water behind them) if they are in good working order.
No shit....😂😅😅lol
They're afraid to let it get full because the flood gates might fail
To add onto the comment about how the flood control gates were last used back in 2017, that was the same time when the Oroville Dam spillway failure happened and they opened the gates to see if they operated normally and correctly
I took pictures and video of the water ripping out of Keswick dam. The steelhead were happy too. You could watch them jump up Rock Creek.
They're afraid to let it get full because the floodgates might fail at Lake Shasta
Shared
Danged if they do, danged if they don’t. They lowed they out flows to limit the flood risk during the storms. Sounds about right to me. Then they will increase the flows once the risk a flooding down stream is reduced. Glad to see them not dumping all the water in the ocean.
I don´t understand why the water level is a concern, it´s still lower than the maximun and in any case if it surpases the max that´s what the spillway if for
I am glad that they are doing their job correctly.
Do these lakes, Shasta, Mead, Powell, Orville, etc, ever get dredged?
Shasta hasn't but it has been discussed in the past
NO not for years
Ha! Look @ size! Not practical or necessary
I remember when you were saying that it would dry up and there would not be enough water in the future to ever fell it!
ya....no....no one ever said that
👌
They opened the gates at Orville this morning
Oroville, WA. state? - ha!
wasn't the record level when it overflowed onto the emergency spillway? was that not above full pool?
I'm not sure, but I find it interesting that they call "fool pool" 1067 feet...and it has never officially been recorded there. The highest ever is 1064.5...and last year it looked totally full at nearly that, so I consider the reality full pool to be 1064 when looking at the numbers
You're thinking of Oroville Dam.
You do not understand how Shasta dam works! There is plenty of flood control built into that dam, the whole face of the spillway is full of pipes that open and close as needed to spill without using the main flood gates
Was that a legit lightning strike at 8:36?
Streamers and everything
So, what's the problem if they use the spillway? Is it a slough of the levees downstream?
Newsflash: simply open some valves and release the water downstream....the result: problem solved
Looking back at this video looks like the experts are getting it right so far. Let them do their job.
Hey, im not known with water, but cant they just let some of the water out of the dam? Maybe using a temporary syphon tube?
They don’t have any problem to relieve the water it’s what it does to down stream. To much and it defeats the purpose of flood control. They are doing a balancing act with the water level in the reservoir and flood control downstream.
Caution would be wise since this is an El Niño year.
Finally someone with brains in the comment section
@@dwainsellers6453we do not want the decision responsibility this year. Way weird weather year to read, good luck california.
It also has to do with the amount of sediment that has accumulated.
Look at the collapsing 3 gorges dam It will collapse any day now...😮
But it was built in China
I think it will be alright this year.
Are the hydro plants running at 100%? If not, why not?
Shasta generates power as needed. As of 6 p.m. tonight, California was at 63% needed of current State capacity. Why generate more, until we can find suitable battery storage.
🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁LION c LIKE No. 294
Such a feature in a high seismic zone with a dormant strato-volcano on its doorstep. What could possibly go wrong?
Shasta is not a high seismic zone.
Nothing.
Shasta quasi-dormant; could become active..
Seems the designers of the dam should have taken all these things into consideration when constructing it. Spillways should be designed to handle the extra water when there are extra rain events. In my area the people who are responsible for run off maintenance usually do a poor job and we have flooding & considerable damage because the water gets backed up where it should not happen.
The problem is not getting the water out of the lake the problem is the flooding Downstream if they do so trust me they can release probably around 100,000 cubic feet per second out of Shasta Dam but the flooding below the dam would be significant
good thing random youtuber is here to straighten this out. i am sure the bureau of reclamation will be amazed to see this data.. meantime , random youtuber can bitch either way - too high, too low , a genius ether way.
- ha! Good 1!
Let it fill its always a drought in the summer
Unusual rise in January… Duh lakes go up when you don’t let water out.
I expected something more scientific, not fear-mongering doom and gloom.
El nino
Down stream from Shasta is there other reservoir?. Could there be a domino effect?. breaches, one dam breaches all the dams.And if that’s the case where does the water end up. I don’t know which rivers can affect it, but I believe it ends up in the Pacific, if I’m not mistaken. The damage getting there could be horrific. I forgot that one light that came back to life after 100 years of being dry. I think it’s still wet today.
Video is a fear monger. Keswick dam releases water first before Shasta ever does.
@@jesse75 They are always releasing water it’s the amount of water.
Must be a z danger danger I’m afraid they moved something must be a dangerous thing to do
The sky is falling, the sky is falling! You have water ffs be happy! You guys whine more then any state in the nation!
Yeah, they're in drought, flood, snow storms, mud slides,forest fires, etc but I love calling a downpour a atmospheric river, typical climate alarmist rhetoric, making it sound like the end of the world, crazy.
dont break it... Tulare Lake will over take Bakersfield... oh well...
.. & that's bad, why?
Mead ?? 😏
if its full. it seems like they should start letting it out to account for the snowmelt...
Not much this year. Been warm. Couple days ago it was 72 in Shasta Lake where I live and the mountain pass has not been closed. When it is, trucks and cars pile up from Mountain Gate to near Redding.
Depends on snowpack..
FUD -
WHY oh why don't the experts listen to you?
He's not. Just a fear monger to get people to comment on his post. Fear and sex sells.
This is clickbait and it is sad.
Lake Mead is also high for the season.
Another “the sky is falling “ video.
As a boomer who's been around for 70 years I've experienced many weather phenomenon floods, drought, hurricanes, tornadoes, mud slides, etc, we had downpours, rain,sprinkles gales blizzards but never a atmospheric river, as with most climate alarmism every weather pattern needs a scary name to make is sound like a event that's never happened before.
Well said
"Mudslide" is a misnomer; they are usually landslides, with rocks, trees, & debris.
In years when water levels allow it they should do a full discharge release for 24-hours, so people remember what flood stage looks like.
This guy has no idea how the Drum gates work. Klick bait.
Very good explanation of the pointless risk of holding too much water. Snowpack is substantial and months of rainfall are likely. Now is the time to run the turbines and let water downstream before flooding situations. Holding too much water loses any flood control capacity and this reckless management is the direct cause of the Oroville Dam spillway failure. Irrigation greed is not an acceptable substitute for balanced management. This director needs to step down. If he’s the one responsible for Oroville, he needs to be fired and face professional license action. No excuses are acceptable. Run the turbines and reduce the level NOW.
Only 30% of the water that flows into Lake Shasta is from snowpack 70% is from rain
Your flood control level concerns aren't including new administration insights such as DEI !
I want to see Jerry Brown dragged by heels to Lake Shasta and Lake Taho and propped up in front of news crews to explain how we are going to die of thirst under 130 degree temperatures as he so famously did for years.
the snowpack is ready to destroy many dams or create massive floods its a chess game