12 billion gallons of water pour into Lake Tahoe amid this week's heat wave

sfgate.com ^ | 6/23/2017 | Amy Graff

[rktman]

The process of the Sierra Nevada spring snow melt sped up this week as a heat wave brought triple-digit temperatures to parts of the Western United States.

A thawing snowpack that's massive after a brutal winter fed rivers and reservoirs with high-flowing runoff.

One place that saw a stunning impact from all the runoff is Lake Tahoe.

More than 12 billion gallons of water poured into the lake over the past week.

[rktman]

With a capital "B". Truckee is cranking filling up, or at least raising Pyramid Lake levels. Looking at Mt Rose this morning. There's still a bunch of fluffy white stuff up there. Well, it probably ain't fluffy by now. Stupid glow bull warming. I think Squaw is having it's last ski day today and doing something for the 4th of July.

[Drew68]

And how many billions of gallons (trillions?) are going to flow out to sea?

Should've built those reservoirs, California.

[The Sons of Liberty]

Should've built those reservoirs, California.

Can't afford it - too many "important" social programs for illegal aliens that need funding.

[mountn man]

12 billion gallons in Lake Tahoe = 3 INCHES

[rktman]

None from Tahoe. Outlet is into Truckee River which ends up in Pyramid Lake Northeast of Reno.

[Noumenon]

That should be enough to flush the toilet that is San Francisco. Sacramento would be a bonus, as it is on the way.

[keat]

Pfffft. Lake Don Pedro rose 24 FEET so far in June.

[mountn man]

[rktman]

H2O powered?

[jcon40]

Fanny Bridge, another nice sight ... Your a lucky man if you’re waking up to a view of Mt Rose every morning.

[Torquay]

“With a capital “B”. Truckee is cranking filling up, or at least raising Pyramid Lake levels. Looking at Mt Rose this morning. There’s still a bunch of fluffy white stuff up there. Well, it probably ain’t fluffy by now. Stupid glow bull warming. I think Squaw is having it’s last ski day today and doing something for the 4th of July.”

I was at Nevada Beach last Wednesday - beautiful warm day at the beach with the snow capped mountains all around. I took 431 over to the lake on Wednesday, and it has been a long time since I have seen this much snow still on the ground in June off 431 around Rose. The meadow on the downhill south side of the summit off 431 is still mostly covered in snow!

[neverevergiveup]

In my early 20s I was on a camping trip in the Sierra's with friends, and we wound up stopping to have lunch on the shore of Lake Tahoe (this time of year). I decided to jump in and swim (one beer, total stupidity). It was really cold, and I swam a pretty quick 50 meters away from shore and starting getting bronchospasm and was having trouble breathing. It was a struggle to get back to shore, and a lesson learned.

[Hotlanta Mike]

Like a bullet train from LA to SFO...

[Captain Compassion]

Further south the Carson and Walker rivers are running wild. These rivers have been at or near flood stage sense January.

[rktman]

We thought it might still be snowy in the meadows. Will they ever clear to the east entrance to Yosemite? ❄️👹

[Baynative]

A proposal in the late 80s would have built a pipeline to siphon water from the northern California rivers that dump billions of gallons everyday into the Pacific.

Taking water through a pipeline could have kept northern lakes like Shasta at max depth full time and turned the central valley into a sustainable produce mega business while generating very low cost electricity all along the way.

But, the idea of a "pipeline" upset environmentalists and there are more important things to consider like bullet trains. So, the perfect natural resource of clean water just flows into the ocean day and night, 365 days a year.

[rktman]

Suppose Walker Lake is finally up some. We’ll have to check it out.

[Getready]

Which is why i hate those stupid movies showing people in very cold water swimming around without gasping or screaming ( i believe the first response to very cold or freezing water is rapid breathing) before they go into hypothermia and sink...i had a similar experience diving into lake tahoe water...i got out faster than you did though

[Getready]

Which is why i hate those stupid movies showing people in very cold water swimming around without gasping or screaming ( i believe the first response to very cold or freezing water is rapid breathing) before they go into hypothermia and sink...i had a similar experience diving into lake tahoe water...i got out faster than you did though

[Jolla]

I bet 12 billion gallons flow out of Lake Tahoe too