A Giant Lake That Vanished 130 Years Ago Has Resurfaced in California

A giant lake returned from the dead after more than a century, causing both jubilation and heartbreak to people around it. Tulare Lake, located in California’s San Joaquin Valley was drained of water, around 130 years ago to make way for private holdings, Indy100 reported. In 2023, the fully empty lake again became replenished with water, due to rains and snow in the area. This development brought a huge wave of joy to surrounding indigenous communities and concern to farmers.

Tulare Lake during its heyday was the largest freshwater body west of the Mississippi, The Guardian reported. The waterbody is also known as Pa’ashi Lake, a name given to it by the Tachi Yokut Tribe. In the 19th century the lake was drained for agriculture, and over decades, re-emerged many times during the wet season. None of the comebacks have been as significant as the one in 2023.

Vivian Underhill, of Northeastern University, explained that the re-emergence of the lake could be attributed to the snow and rain the area received in winter and spring respectively, Indy100 reported. She added that the simultaneous rain and snow caused the melting water to run into the depression of Tulare Lake and reform the lost waterbody.

Tachi Yokut has been celebrating the comeback of Pa’ashi Lake, Indy100 reported. The draining of the lake was done in part because of the state of California's desire to take indigenous land and convert it into private ownership. This 'reclamation' process caused the tribal community to lose many of its highly revered natural resources. Underhill stated that the lake's return has become a powerful and spiritual experience for the tribe. "They’ve been holding ceremonies on the side of the lake. They’ve been able to practice their traditional hunting and fishing practices again," she added.

According to scientists the reemerged lake will remain for years to come, The Guardian reported. This has caused concern among farmers whose lands have been submerged by the lake's water. Authorities dismissed their worries and cited that the lake has shrunk to just 2,625 acres. Officials are confident regarding its "imminent disappearance", said Abraham Valencia, with the office of emergency services, "barring unforeseen snowmelt runoff causing upstream flooding."

Several experts including Underhill believe that authorities should focus on building towards a future that balances the interests of farmers with the existence of the lake, Indy100 reported. "At a certain point, I think it would behoove the state of California to realize that Tulare Lake wants to remain. And in fact, there’s a lot of economic benefit that could be gained from letting it remain," Underhill stated.