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A look at SLO County rainfall totals, reservoir levels

December 31, 2024

Santa Margarita Lake

By KAREN VELIE

A dry end of 2024 has left San Luis Obispo County with below average rainfall totals for this time of year.

However, back-to-back wet years have replenished local and state reservoirs. For example, Lopez Lake currently has enough water to fulfill user demands for another five years.

Climate scientists track rain from July 1 through June 31.

Rainfall totals from July 1 through Dec. 31, along with average yearly rainfall:

Arroyo Grande – 3.27 inches to date – average 14.09 inches

Atascadero – 2.48 inches to date – average 12.06 inches

Creston – 1.82 inches to date – average 12 inches

Lopez Dam – 5.13 inches to date – average 18.48 inches

Los Osos – 3.45 inches to date – average 15.77 inches

Nipomo – 3.80 inches to date – average 12.62 inches

Oceano – 3.84 inches to date – average 12.26 inches

Paso Robles – 2.70 inches to date – average 14.08 inches

Rocky Butte – 10.36 inches to date – average 34.75 inches

San Luis Obispo – 4.02 inches to date – average 16.82 inches

San Simeon – 2.95 inches to date – average 15.12 inches

Santa Margarita – 3.26 inches to date – average 16.96 inches

Shandon –1.66 inches to date – average 8.44 inches

Templeton – 2.57 inches to date – average 13.05 inches

Current Central Coast and major state reservoir levels:

  • Santa Margarita Lake at 87.9%, SLO County
  • Lake Nacimiento at 53%, SLO and Monterey counties
  • Lopez Lake at 91.9%, SLO County
  • Whale Rock Reservoir at currently unavailable, SLO County
  • Cachuma Lake at 89%, Santa Barbara County
  • Gibraltar Reservoir 17%, Santa Barbara County
  • Jameson Reservoir 91%, Santa Barbara County
  • San Antonio Lake at 70%, Monterey County
  • Oroville Dam 54%, Butte County, from November
  • Trinity Lake at 67%, Trinity, County, from November
  • Don Pedro Reservoir at 69%, Mariposa County, from November
  • New Malones Lake at 75%, Calaveras County, from November
  • Shasta Dam at 59%, Shasta County, from November
  • San Luis Reservoir at 54%, Merced County, from November

 


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Its long past time for serious consideration for large scale desalination in California. Here in SLO county we could utilize the power generated at Diablo Canyon to help minimize the power cost to run a desal plant. Its time to have water sources independent of weather conditions. Its an expensive construction project but if we ask president Musk he might loan us a few bucks.


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