Water lines on the banks of Lake Oroville have depleted so rapidly that the reservoir’s hydroelectric power plant may have to shut down for the first time ever, straining an already encumbered power grid during the hottest part of the summer.
Since 1967, the Edward Hyatt Power Plant has been a crucial source of electricity for the area and usually has the capacity to power up to 800,000 homes, pumping water from the lake through its underground facilities,according to CNN. If they continue to plummet to a threshold of 640 feet, the powerplant will not have enough water to continue functioning in two to three months’ time.
The Department of Water Resources forecast Lake Oroville – the state’s second largest reservoir –would likely drop belowits lowest-ever point in late summer or early fall.