Folsom Lake's water levels surprise some Memorial Day Weekend visitors

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Tuesday, June 1, 2021
Folsom Lake levels surprise some Memorial Day Weekend visitors
Memorial Day Weekend visitors were surprised to see Folsom Lake water levels at a drastic low, at 68 feet lower than last year.

FOLSOM, Calif. (KGO) -- The lack of Sierra snowmelt has significantly reduced the size of Folsom Lake. It's 68 feet lower that it was last year, the equivalent of a five-story building.

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Only one of the lake's 13 boat ramps was open over Memorial Day Weekend.

Tomas Jimenez made the trek out, driving over two hours.

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"This is my third or fourth time and it was never that low," Jimenez, a Hayward resident. "No boats, no jet skis, no. It's kind of weird."

Besides the lack of snowfall, the ground has become so dry that, as the snowpack melts, it's absorbed into the ground instead of going in the reservoir.

See more stories and videos about the drought here.