Reservoir levels at 40 year low as California faces drought
The US state of California is facing drought. The reservoirs here have reached the lowest level in 40 years. Only 35% of the water storage capacity is left in the state with a population of 4 crores. Things have gotten so bad that Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency.
According to the report, the Oroville Dam, the second largest in California, covers an area of 35 sq km, supplying 27 million people in 40 counties. But it is getting dry due to lack of rain in the last years. On the other hand, more than 200 houseboats are also being evacuated in this lake. The governor had ordered last week regarding this. It was said that the houseboats could get damaged due to the continuous fall in the water level in the dam. So they should be taken out as soon as possible.
The first hydro electric power plant was built on Oroville Dam in 1967, which supplies electricity to 8 lakh homes every year. Due to the dryness of the dam, it can be closed for the first time. The plant generates 13% of California’s electricity.
Scorching heatwave in the South West
A scorching heat wave that broke temperature records in the US Southwest posed a new threat on Friday. The result was that the power system reached the brink of failure. The California power grid operator, still able to keep the lights on, issued its latest flex alert on Friday.
Through this alert, the power grid operator said that the homeowners of the state were asked to increase the power in the afternoon and evening when the demand increases. Years of drought in the US Southwest have hit power grids in California and Texas and fueled the spread of wildfires.
