Drenched by higher-than-normal rain, Lake Shasta water level rises 60 feet during January

 Higher-than-normal rainfall during the past month has dramatically changed Lake Shasta, with the water level of California’s largest reservoir rising 60 feet since the end of December.

Gone are vast areas of shoreline that became parking lots and campgrounds as the lake dried up and the water level dropped during the past several years of low rainfall in the North State.

By Monday, the lake was 56% full, an improvement over the 34% recorded Jan. 3. The California Department of Water Resources said the lake was 87% of normal as of Monday, compared to the 57% of normal at the beginning of January.

After three years of drought, “normal” was welcome, said Don Bader, area manager for the Bureau of Reclamation, which manages several North State dams, including Shasta...more