While I am not the hydrology expert or climatologist declaring the drought is over, the eye test of driving over the Pit River Bridge on Highway 5 and looking down on a rapidly rising Lake Shasta produced a huge grin during a driving rain storm yesterday morning. It took both hands to handle the gusting winds and windshield wipers on full speed to keep the view safe but what a glorious sight. This winter and promised El Nino patterns of wet storms has come through.

Shasta is now just 34 feet from full pool and is continuing to rise. The lake now sits at 103% of seasonal average levels. The lake has risen dramatically since the first of the year. Lake level at January 1, was 920.23 feet with full pool at 1067 feet. That is 146.77 feet from the top. Today 34 feet, a 112 foot increase in just two and a half months. And with more rain forecast for this weekend, the beginning of spring there are strong hopes that the lake will shortly reach full pool.

Lake Oroville with the vast drainage of the Feather River Basin is also rising quickly, gaining over 14 feet of lake level in just the weekend! Thank goodness the lakes still have capacity to accept that type of inflow. Oroville is down just 74.5 feet from full pool and just under the seasonal average as of today but give it a couple of days as the continued runoff from the weekend flows in the lake and Oroville will also exceed seasonal average. The numbers are even more impressive than Shasta as Oroville with a full pool elevation of 900 feet sat at an elevation of 666.63 feet on January 1. Today's elevation of 625.42 feet shows a 158.79 foot increase.

Both lakes, as will most all Northern California lakes look to be in full operation with high water levels coming into the summer. All boat ramps at Shasta are now open. For those who have not experienced these lakes at or near full pool there are few prettier anywhere. Houseboats here I come!

Gary Heffley has been a valued contributor to MyOutdoorBuddy for over 10 years serving as manager, sales representative and reporter for much of Northern California. He is an avid outdoorsman and loves to fish and write about his adventures. He has a long history in the Sporting Goods field and uses that extensive experience to impart his wisdom in his writing.