Water levels at Lake Tahoe have dipped below its natural rim for the first time in five years as a result of the ongoing drought.
Local water authorities are now looking to alternative reservoirs to meet water demands in the Reno-Sparks area. According to ABC 13 News, the diminished water levels are cutting off flows to the Truckee River, reducing it to a shallow stream as it makes its way down the Sierra through Reno.
Although the Truckee Meadows Water Authority contends that it has plenty of reserves in its other reservoirs, continued drought conditions this winter could spell rough times ahead for farmers in the high desert east of Reno. They may face irrigation curtailments as the drought lingers.
Record low levels were recorded in 1992 when Lake Tahoe fell nearly 3 feet below the rim. Breitbart News reported in July that ten of California’s 12 major reservoirs are now less than 50% full, with some declining to levels as low as 20% of capacity.
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