[Mick]

Tulare Lake was once the largest freshwater body west of the Mississippi River, stretching over 100 miles long and 30 miles wide. It disappeared more than 130 years ago when settlers drained it to convert the wetland into farmland. The basin has since remained largely dry, with the land used for agriculture, roads, and infrastructure.

In spring 2023, the lake returned after a series of atmospheric rivers and record Sierra Nevada snowmelt brought unprecedented rainfall and runoff into the Tulare Basin. Because the valley has no natural outlet, water collected in the old lakebed, refilling it rapidly. Satellite imagery showed the lake expanding from under 100,000 acres to over 120,000 acres in just months.

After 130 Years Gone, Ghost Lake Suddenly Returns and Wipes Nearly 100,000 Acres off the Map

[Mick]

Tulare Lake was once the largest freshwater body west of the Mississippi River, stretching over 100 miles long and 30 miles wide. It disappeared more than 130 years ago when settlers drained it to convert the wetland into farmland. The basin has since remained largely dry, with the land used for agriculture, roads, and infrastructure.

In spring 2023, the lake returned after a series of atmospheric rivers and record Sierra Nevada snowmelt brought unprecedented rainfall and runoff into the Tulare Basin. Because the valley has no natural outlet, water collected in the old lakebed, refilling it rapidly. Satellite imagery showed the lake expanding from under 100,000 acres to over 120,000 acres in just months.

After 130 Years Gone, Ghost Lake Suddenly Returns and Wipes Nearly 100,000 Acres off the Map