It finally rains in California after a historic drought. How does it affect the region's water supplies?.
The downpours have ended a dry decade in the state and in some areas, such as the traditionally dry Death Valley, there are now lakes that can be kayaked. But although rainfall has reached historic levels in Southern California, it remains to be seen whether the year can be considered very wet for the state as a whole. The vital Sierra Nevada snowpack, which normally supplies about 30% of California's water when it melts, has recovered somewhat after a slow start.