See aerial video of detached docks, other debris in storm-filled Nacimiento Lake
Severe storm after severe storm has rolled over the Central Coast for weeks now — and those torrential rains have made for a very full Lake Nacimiento.
On Tuesday, we got a look at the high water and the storm debris from above.
Click on the video to see the aerial footage.
Detached docks are scattered across the lake, along with debris such as logs. The largest detached dock is seen closest to the dam as the video pans from the west side of the lake then east.
Video of the lake was posted to Twitter by the California Office of Emergency Services as part of its FIRIS program, or Fire Integrated Real-time Intelligence System. The aerial camera system provides real-time monitoring of hazards as well as wildfire modeling.
Lake Nacimiento at 88 percent capacity
As of Wednesday, Lake Nacimiento had risen to 88 percent of capacity. It was only at 32 percent at the beginning of the year, according to John Lindsey, a retired PG&E marine meteorologist.
Also of note: From Jan. 14 to Jan. 18, the length of the lake grew from 17.3 miles to 17.8 miles. That comes after a total of 11.85 inches of rain in the Nacimiento area since the year started, according to Monterey County Water Resources Agency.
Compare that to last year, when 7.44 inches of rain had fallen by Jan. 18, 2022, and the 2022 seasonal rainfall topped out at 9.11 inches, Water Resources Agency data shows.
Lake Nacimiento, a reservior, sends water to Atascadero, Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo.
Lakes across California’s Central Coast
A look at the percentage of capacity for Lake Nacimiento over the past five days:
- Saturday, Jan. 14: 77 percent
- Sunday, Jan. 15: 85 percent
- Monday, Jan. 16: 87 percent
- Tuesday, Jan. 17: 89 percent
- Wednesday, Jan. 18: 88 percent
Check the latest capacity numbers here.
According to the Monterey County Water Resources Agency, the state is making releases from both Lake Nacimiento and Lake San Antonio to “maintain fish habitat downstream of both dams.”
Here are capacity percentages for other Central Coast reservoirs, as of Wednesday.
- Lake San Antonio in Monterey County reached 34 percent of capacity, up from 11 percent at the start of the year.
- Lopez Lake Reservoir has increased to 51.4 percent.
- Whale Rock Reservoir is now at 88 percent.
- Salinas Reservoir (Santa Margarita Lake) is at 104 percent.
Lopez Lake, Whale Rock and Salinas reservoirs are in San Luis Obispo County. Find updated capacity percentages at wr.slocountywater.org.