The Tulare Lake in California’s San Joaquin Valley began to dry up in the late 1850s. The magnificent water body, home to numerous plants, animals and birds, met an untimely death after Americans decided to reshape the land for farming and other activities. Ecosystems dependent on the waterbody, which was the largest body of fresh water west of the Mississippi River, were destroyed and Native American communities also suffered.
Now, after 130 years, Tulare Lake is brimming with life again. "Nature taking revenge on humans", the overused cliche in environment reportage, seems befitting here as the lake has swallowed up over 94,000 acres of private farmland -- living up to the name of California's “ghost lake.” It will be years before the water fully recedes from the farmland, US media reports quote experts as saying.
To the surprise of the locals, who have only heard about the placid history of the homeland, the ecosystem that had gone extinct with the lake is also making a comeback. Plants that have not appeared in the area for many decades are sprouting on the banks of the waterbody. Ducks, egrets, and waterfowl have started flocking the region yet again, Earth.com said.
What happened to California's Tulare Lake?
Hundreds of irrigation canals crisscrossing the valley were constructed by US settlers, diverting water away from the lake. This was a purposeful act to convert inundated or desert land into arable farmland. Such efforts taken to reshape the land resulted in the extinction of flora and fauna in the area that depended on the lake.
How did Tulare Lake come back to life?
According to reports, nature showed its magic when Tulare Lake gushed over the irrigation systems that were constructed to obstruct its flow many generations before.
The "ghost lake" roared back to life in 2023 as a consequence of the massive winter storms in California and snowmelt from Sierra Nevada. Farmlands, estimated to be over thousands of acres, that produced pistachios, almonds and cotton among other products now stand destroyed or completely submerged as the lake overwhelmed constructions designed to drain the basin.
However, challenges are galore for the local community and authorities as constructions submerged by the reborn lake include storage facilities used to store chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Tools, electrical wires and equipment also have been eaten up by the water, reports said.