San Luis Obispo County officials are reporting that reservoir water levels are in good shape as heavy rains hit the region. An atmospheric river is sweeping through the Central Coast, bringing two-to-four inches of rain after a mostly dry winter.
Santa Margarita Lake, which provides drinking water for the City of San Luis Obispo, rose from 86% capacity on Monday to around 89% by Thursday. Lopez Lake saw a smaller increase, from 91.2% to about 92%. The Lopez Lake reservoir serves San Luis Obispo's South County.
SLO County Supervising Engineer David Spiegel said local reservoirs have recovered well from years of drought before 2023.
“As far as drought concerns go, I think we're sitting pretty well at the moment,” Spiegel said. “I know we're a little late in the season, but I'm hoping some future storms will fill things up as we go.”
Meanwhile, the County is fighting a court order that requires the release of more water from Lopez Dam to protect endangered steelhead trout. Officials argue that doing so could put the reservoir at risk during future droughts.
