San Diego Releases 600 Million Gallons From Lake Due to Dam Safety Fears

Over 600 million gallons of water has been released from a San Diego lake following atmospheric rivers that unleashed record rainfall on California in recent weeks.

Lake Hodges, in San Diego, must be kept only 30 percent full at all times, due to safety concerns surrounding its dam. The dam is over a century old, and officials fear it may not be able to hold such a high amount of water. And when record rainstorms sweep across the state, officials release water to brace for a sudden influx of water.

So far, 619 million gallons of water has been released, CBS 8 reports. This water makes its way down the San Dieguito River and into the ocean.

"Due to recent rainfall, the City of San Diego, the owner of Lake Hodges Dam and Reservoir, has been using Santa Fe Irrigation District facilities to release water from Lake Hodges," the Santa Fe Irrigation District told CBS 8 in a statement. "The release began on January 24 and will continue for the foreseeable future... The Department of Safety of Dams requires the City to maintain a maximum capacity of 30 percent due to the dam's condition. Some of the released water could have been stored by the Santa Fe Irrigation District and San Dieguito Water District for use by their customers later this year if this restriction wasn't in place due to the poor condition of the dam."

Newsweek has contacted the Santa Fe Irrigation District via email.

The Lake Hodges dam is currently under construction to improve its function, but it won't be completed for awhile.

Back in October 2023, the San Diego Tribune reported that construction had been moved forward from its original date of 2030 to 2029.

The recent rainstorms in California were caused by two atmospheric rivers that released record amounts of precipitation on the state.

When this happens, it can increase snow pack in the surrounding mountains, and when the weather warms, this will start to melt. Depending on how warm the temperatures are, the snow will melt quickly and can be difficult to control once it is underway.

Last year, the melt caused flooding in areas of the state following a similar series of atmospheric rivers.

California saw a prolonged period of drought before this rainfall, meaning the increased precipitation is welcome. However, it can be disruptive in some causes.

There was a period in 2022 when California's reservoirs were in a dire state due to a severe lack of precipitation. But following the 2023 storms, and the more recent ones, they replenished a considerable amount to the degree that water sometimes has to be released.

Experts have warned that the recent rain will not solve the water crisis entirely. If the state drops into severe drought conditions again, water could once again be scarce.

Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about Lake Hodges? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.