Storms filling up Lake Tahoe, nears legal limit
By Benjamin Spillman, Reno Gazette-Journal
It took a near-miracle but Lake Tahoe is once again holding enough water to supply Reno for as many as three years.
That’s after a dismal start to winter during which snowpack in the Lake Tahoe basin was just 25 percent of the median peak on March 1.
“We will expect to be brim-full at both Boca and Stampede, just like last year,” said Dave Wathen, chief deputy water master in Reno. “If we have a full Tahoe that typically gets us through three dry years.”
During a snow survey on Monday at Slide Mountain, Wathen said Lake Tahoe is within about a foot of its legal storage limit with more rain and snow on the way.
