Community Corner

Storms Filled Reservoirs in San Gabriel Mountains

The storms that doused Los Angeles County last week and over the weekend filled reservoirs in the San Gabriel Mountains with some 6 billion gallons of water, enough to supply more than 150,000 people for a year, it was reported today.

The twin storms left more than 11 inches of rain in some higher elevations, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The rainfall from the storms was enough to substantially fill some dams that were at minimum levels, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, which operates 14 dams and debris basins in local ranges, according to The Times.

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Cogswell Dam on the San Gabriel River rose by 36 feet immediately after the storm. Larger dams farther down the river rose by lesser amounts, the agency said.

The water in the dams is not the most relevant measure of available resources, officials told The Times, because the county sends dammed water into spreading grounds that recharge underground aquifers. The largest spreading grounds operated by the county are near the mouth of San Gabriel Canyon. The water slowly percolates into the ground, where it can be stored to be pumped out later.

Find out what's happening in Diamond Bar-Walnutwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

—City News Service


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