The San Joaquin Valley wasn’t always so dry. Back in the early 1800s, the region featured the largest body of freshwater this side of the Mississippi River: Tulare Lake.
Tulare Lake was big, covering 690 square miles during particularly rainy seasons. Steamships could carry supplies between cities like Bakersfield, Fresno, and San Francisco. If the lake were to exist permanently today, experts claim it would hold 6.5 million acre-feet of water. That’s a lot of H20!
Due to aggressive irrigation practices during the late 19th century — including damming, diverting, and canal digging — Tulare Lake dried up more than 100 years ago. Once the water was gone, the lake floor was turned into farmland. Tulare Lake is now known as a “ghost lake,” reappearing during periods of intense rainfall or snowmelt before fading away once again.
Last year, Tulare Lake came back in a big way. The intense precipitation of early 2023 — including atmospheric rivers, rainstorms, and runoff from the Sierras — resulted in 114,000 acres of water returning to the former lakebed. Although this water helped replenish local groundwater supplies, Tulare Lake’s reappearance was only temporary. By February 1, 2024, less than 5,000 acres of farmland were under water. By April, the lake had vanished once again.
As California continues to experience the effects of climate change, there’s a good chance Tulare Lake will refill itself — temporarily, of course. For growers who prefer their water sources to be far more dependable, there’s a better option: the Irrigation Department at FGS. Like Tulare Lake, we’ve become a big part of San Joaquin’s agricultural history, with more than 100 years of experience in the Golden State. Unlike Tulare Lake, we’re not going anywhere — and we’ll even come to you, developing and installing an irrigation system that’s custom-designed for your needs. Season after season, we’ll be there for you.
Don’t be a ghost. Contact us today.