After a storm this weekend, Lopez Lake has filled almost to its capacity.
Omar Garcia and his family got a startling surprise Saturday night when it started raining at their camp at Lopez Lake.
“First, it was clear we were like, 'let's do a fire' and then the wind kicked up and the rain started, then we were hiding under the awning, and then we got smoked out because fire went out," Garcia said.
It wasn’t the worst storm the family had endured at Lopez Lake. They were caught in a downpour back in December.
Why it's not always ideal for campers, it's good for our communities in both the short and long-term.
According to the San Luis Obispo Public Works Department, the average rainfall at Lopez Lake is at 113-percent of average.
“I really enjoy that we're out of the drought because we really get to enjoy the beauty of this area and get to see it bloom again," Garcia said.
Jon Takahashi can appreciate how far we have come.
When he and his family moved to Arroyo Grande a decade ago, he said the water levels at the lake were so low, they weren’t allowed to use the boat ramp.
He said as a fisherman, it’s almost impossible to find old spots because of how drastically the landscape has changed in the past decade.
“[The lake is] higher than usual," Takahashi said. "In the past years, we usually have to walk like 20 feet down but since these storms have been coming through, it's been a lot higher. It's actually higher than it was probably last month, when we came and went fishing. One of the spots by the entrance we usually go to, we can't even get to now because the water levels above the usual path.”
Since July 1, the area near the lake received a total of 22.51 inches of rain, putting Lopez Lake at over 87-percent of its capacity.
Jason Huitron was fishing with his dad and said he’s excited to see more water because of his family’s plans in the summer.
“It's actually pretty nice," Huitron said. "The water is a little bit higher, and we usually go camping a lot here.”
