Lake Oroville in California is looking more beautiful than ever after the water levels rise.
Droughts caused the water levels of California's second-largest reservoir to fall to an all-time low. List Wire tracked the incredible transformation after storms and heavy rainfall between 2023-2025, which made water levels rise to "114% ... above the historical average."
Reservoirs are a key method of water management, especially in drought-prone areas such as California. They're a way of supplying people with clean drinking water. And they can help mitigate floods and act as a source of renewable energy through hydropower turbines.
They can even be a wonderful place to enjoy a day out in nature. Lake Oroville is a perfect spot to take part in camping, horse-riding, sailing, swimming, and picnicking. The benefits of being in green spaces are well documented, but more research is being done into proximity to water sources, or 'blue spaces'.
The Guardian reported that being near bodies of water has a positive correlation with better physical and mental well-being. Higher Vitamin D levels and better connections with others are two of the many benefits you can get.
Lake Oroville's bouncing back will have a massive positive impact on the environment, too. Fish, insects, and aquatic plants that may have been at risk of dying out during the droughts will be able to thrive once again.
As we head towards winter, however, higher water levels could pose a greater risk of flooding and mudslides.
Newsweek quoted state climatologist Dr. Michael Anderson, who spoke in a press release about California's water supplies over the colder months.
"While our water supplies are in a good position heading into the new water year," he remarked, "we will be watching closely for dry and wet extreme conditions that can pose hazards statewide."