After huge winter, spring and summer snow melt is filling Lake Tahoe

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (KGO) -- The beaches are a little smaller this year at Lake Tahoe.

After all the snow that fell over the winter, the spring and summer snowmelt is sending billions of gallons of water into the lake.

Depending on the temperatures, the lake could soon reach its legal limit of 6,229.1 feet above sea level.

Once that happens, federal officials are required to maintain that level by releasing water into the Truckee River.

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The lake was less than an inch from that peak on Friday.

Since 2016, which was the last of the drought years, the lake has risen eight feet.