moi621 (imported) wrote: Thu Jan 21, 2010 2:48 pm Because you don't need the other 50% !
More seriously, those reservoirs up north are there as part of a flood control program. Having these reservoirs full before an anticipated rainy season may not be too bright.
Castaic Lake does not bear such flood control responsibility.
Perhaps not. Also, Having lived next to these reservoirs most of my life, I'm quite aware of the flood "control" aspects of the northern reservoirs, and probably know more about how to indicate they are suffering drought than a person living in Southern California. These reservoirs in good years are purposely kept a bit low this time of year in anticipation of the snow melt from the mountains in the spring. still, 50% (or less) in a 2 to 3 million acre foot reservoir is VERY low even for this time of year.
I live right next to a 2.5 million acre foot reservoir and the old highway bridges over the river it dams are starting to pop up out of the water. At full pool these bridges are 200-250 feet UNDER water.
Call me silly, but that's a drought scenario that even if all the snow melted and went into them today might bring those reservoirs up to 60-65% of capacity.
I think it was June 2006 the last time the reservoir I have in mind was close to full-pool.