As summer progresses, north state reservoir levels are still the healthiest in several years, thanks to finally having a near-average winter. Oroville, Shasta, Bullards Bar, and Englebright are still right around 100-percent of average, with Shasta actually at 108-percent. Closer to home, Scotts Flat and Rollins Lake are also near capacity. But Doug Carlson, with the State Department of Water Resources, says levels would have been even more impressive if the snowpack had not melted faster than normal, because of the four-year drought…

click to listen to Doug Carlson

And with an earlier melt, consumers start drawing down reservoirs sooner. Meanwhile, Carlson says a La Nina pattern is forecast for next winter, but there’s no guarantee that’ll mean a lot of storms…

click to listen to Doug Carlson

An early snow melt can also have environmental impacts, especially for fish. If the cold water pulses come too soon, lower flows and higher water temperatures later in the season can make it difficult for some species to survive.