The 2022-2023 “water year” ending October 1st was a boon for drought-striken California, with officials finding levels in the state’s reservoirs now up to 128 percent of the historical average after heavy rain and snowfall more than made up for years of dry spells, the Associated Press reports.
“This was as close to a miracle year as you can get,” said California Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth. The constant flow of precipitation and built-up snowpack at higher elevations contributed to a much-needed respite from wildfires, with the 476 square miles of forest burned in 2022-2023 less than a quarter of the five-year average of 2,031 square miles.