Pine Flat Reservoir

Fuelled by the generosity of the Owens family we rode nearly 100 kms on some steep hilly roads recommended by our Sierra Cascades ACA map. This route took us along Pine Flat Lake - yet another shocking display of the effects of the multi-year drought California has been experiencing. The reservoir still shows up as a lake on most maps, but in actuality it has nearly returned to its original state as a river with the current water level some 50 metres below the old high water mark of the lake. Seeing the progression of boat launches down the "shores" of lakes like these really put the scale of the problem into perspective for us. It is hard to imagine the changes that will come in the next 10 years if these lakes fail to recharge and the demand for water in the coastal cities and arid farmland of the Central Valley continues to increase.Read more