For the first time in over a decade, Lake Cachuma is spilling. Images from Santa Barbara County’s Public Works Department on Wednesday show a cascade of water flowing from the lake’s reservoir through Bradbury Dam’s spillway gates at a max of 4,100 cubic feet per second.
Lake Cachuma is nearly full, sitting just shy of 100 percent capacity thanks to December and January’s storms. To allow space for incoming water flows, the Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) scheduled releases from approximately 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday.
The water from the lake will flow out to the Santa Ynez River from each of the dam’s gates. According to the USBR, from there it contributes to replenishing groundwater supplies, can be diverted by downstream water users, and ultimately reaches the ocean.