One SLO County reservoir is full and spilling — and others are on the way
After the recent series of winter storms, Santa Margarita Lake was overflowing on Monday — with other local reservoirs not far behind.
Santa Margarita Lake, where the Salinas Dam is located, was 101.5% full on Monday, according to the San Luis Obispo County Public Works Department.
Lopez Lake was at 81% capacity on Monday.
Whale Rock Reservoir was almost 87% full on Monday, according to reservoir supervisor Noah Evans. That reservoir is located in Cayucos, and it provides water to the city of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly and the California Men’s Colony.
“It’s all good news,” he said.
Lake Nacimiento was at 50% capacity on Monday, according to the Monterey County Water Resources Agency. Located in northern San Luis Obispo County, the reservoir supplies water to both Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties.
San Antonio Lake, located in southern Monterey County, was at 55% capacity on Monday, according to the Water Resources Agency.
The winter storms also benefitted the rest of the state. As of Monday, none of California’s counties faced drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
This story was originally published January 12, 2026 at 2:04 PM.
