Lake Castaic is the southerly terminal reservoir for the California Aqueduct which delivers water from Northern California. Castaic Lake is located within the Angeles National Forest just 15 minutes north of Six Flags Magic Mountain and 5 minutes from I-5 Freeway. Castaic Lake is a holding reservoir for part of the western regions irrigation water supply. The Castaic Lake Dam is 425 feet high and holds 350,000 acre feet of water at full capacity. Nearby Pyramid Lake, also a repository of Northern California water from the California Aqueduct, holds 180,000 acre feet of water. Both are managed by the Department of Water Resources.
According to the California Department of Water Resources, Lakes Castaic and nearby Pyramid Lake, are at 96% and 88% capacity, and both are at 101% of their historical averages. So where is the "drought" that we are all being scared about by politicians, water agencies, and journalists? Click on the following link and hit on the graph to enlarge the display which shows current reservoir conditions of the major reservoirs in California - here:
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/products/rescond.pdf
Earlier this week on March 11 Mike Fitzgerald of the San Jose Record wrote in his column "California's Claims of Three Year Drought Are All Wet":
"Besides, state officials, SoCal water importers and other Chicken Littles don't mention they drained Northern California reservoirs prior to February's storms."
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090311/A_NEWS0803/903110320 .
Maybe Fitgerald is right. Southern California's cities have their back-up drought water but farms are apparently being deprived of water. Once again, there is suspicion that farmers are being cut off from water to extort Republican votes for the deficit state budget. California's water system may be in the hands of Stalin-esque technocrats who can create famines and droughts for political ends.
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