The arid expanse of California’s San Joaquin Valley, a vital source of the nation’s food supply, was once home to Tulare Lake, which was a massive water body, spanning over 100 miles in length and 30 miles in width. Vivian Underhill, a former postdoctoral research fellow at Northeastern University, highlights the surprising return of the lake.

As per the reports, Tulare Lake actually disappeared in the late 19th century, so its comeback comes as a surprise both for experts and people.

Underhill describes the historical significance of Tulare Lake, known as ‘Pa’ashi’ to the indigenous Tachi Yokut tribe. Fed by snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada mountains rather than rainfall, the lake lacked a natural outlet within the valley, accumulating water to form its vast expanse. In the 1800s, the San Joaquin Valley featured Fresno as a lakeside town, where steamships could navigate the waters for nearly 300 miles, illustrating the stark contrast to the present-day arid landscape.

The disappearance of Tulare Lake began in the late 1850s and early 1860s as part of California’s ‘reclamation’ process, aimed at converting public land, often historically belonging to indigenous communities, into privately owned agricultural plots. This process involved draining inundated land or irrigating desert areas to create fertile farmland, eradicating the ‘ancestral lakes’ and waterways that once existed.

The recent return of Tulare Lake resulted from an influx of snow and rain, with the Sierra’s precipitation flowing into the depression where the lake once existed. This unexpected homecoming has complex implications for indigenous communities, wildlife, and agricultural workers in the San Joaquin Valley.

The lake’s resurgence has brought back a variety of bird species, including pelicans, hawks, and waterbirds, along with vulnerable or imperiled species like burrowing owls. Tulare Lake, once a vital part of the Pacific Flyway for migratory birds, offers renewed habitat, addressing concerns related to bird conservation and diversity.

The impact on human occupancy in the Central Valley varies among three distinct groups: the Tachi Yokuts, who view the lake’s return as a powerful and spiritual experience; farmworkers, who face personal and place-based impacts due to flooding; and growers, who have implemented flood prevention measures to protect their farmland.

Despite efforts to drain the lake once more, Underhill suggests that there is economic potential in allowing Tulare Lake to remain. She stresses the need for a broader perspective, considering the region’s historical prevalence of lakes and wetlands. Underhill proposes that the recent event is not merely a flood but a lake returning, suggesting a shift in the landscape’s natural state.

As climate change leads to increased frequency of such events, understanding and adapting to the coexistence of Tulare Lake lead to economic benefits and environmental sustainability for the state of California.