California's ‘Ghost Lake’ Disappears Again After Reemerging in 2023 Due to Extreme Floods

Lake Tulare, dubbed as the "ghost lake" or "phantom lake," completely disappeared 80 years ago. It occurred at a time when water from its reservoir was diverted and the area that the body of water sits on was converted into agricultural land. In 2023, the said California lake re-emerged due to flooding rain fuelled by water vapor-carrying atmospheric rivers. Recently, the ghost lake disappeared again despite a series of rainfall events since January 2024.

Despite the environmental impacts of heavy rain and flooding in the United States, local authorities previously expressed the need for beneficial rain. This is because wet weather supplements both natural bodies of water like lakes and rivers and artificial reservoirs such as dams. These natural aquatic environments can also be home to various aquatic animals such as fish and eels. However, the disappearance of inland water environments is detrimental to both animals and humans.

In the case of Tulare Lake, it was once the largest freshwater lake (historically) west of the Mississippi River. Before modern civilization, the phantom lake has reportedly provided natural resources for Native Americans for thousands of years. In the past, experts and some tribes in California suggested the restoration of the lake. One main reason is it benefits not only the Golden State and its surrounding regions but also other parts of the US.

Tulare Lake Disappears Again

Tulare Lake has "significantly shrunk in size" despite months of coordinated efforts against flooding, according to a September 2023 report by the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services. In addition, accelerated water dispersal, including by reclamation districts has contributed to the reduction of water from the phantom lake. The governor's office also said that evaporation played a significant role in reducing the floodwaters.

These anthropogenic factors are only risk-reduction measures against flooding that could impact nearby communities from the overflow of the lake. However, relatively favorable weather has led to the disappearance of Lake Tulare again, despite recent heavy rain across the state, according to local reports. The water from the ghost lake did not vanish overnight, as further receding waters have been reported earlier in February 2024.

Lake Tulare Restoration

More than a decade before the re-emergence of California's ancient lake, the Water Education Foundation highlighted the benefits of a potential Lake Tulare restoration project, which could solve the state's water woes. In recent years, California has also experienced a combination of wildfires and scorching temperatures, especially during the summer months. This is despite the atmospheric rivers that impacted the state previously.

More than a century ago, the first signs that Lake Tulare was drying up started to emerge until its complete disappearance 80 years ago. Its comeback last year was a surprise to many people but it was not an assurance that the phantom lake would be permanently filled with water until the long-term future.