Silence hangs in the air above the water, and bright sunlight reflects off the still surface of the lake. Small fish swim next to the serpentine pipes of irrigation pipes. Five feet below, abandoned chicken coops, dairy farms, and equipment sheds are slowly rotting, their forms bathed in murky green water.

The summer heat in the Central Valley is relentless, even when boating on this ghostly lake. Epic winter storms and runoff from the snow-capped Sierra Nevada last spring revived after flooding into man-made systems that have long dried the Tulare Lake basin. The resurgent Tulare Lake has flooded thousands of acres of farmland used to grow pistachios, almonds, cotton and safflower in one of the country’s most productive agricultural regions, creating a seemingly endless blue horizon. But with a gentle breeze and a thin veil of clouds flying high, the lake is unlikely to offer the cool relaxation provided by its closest comparison, Lake Tahoe, the state’s perennial playground.

However, as Tulare Lake returns, ducks, egrets and other waterfowl flock to the lake’s dusty shores. Frogs move along the water’s edge, diving at the slightest movement. Tulle grass grows along the coastline. Long forgotten ecosystems are being revived as Tulare Lake reclaims its historic footprint on the plains of the San Joaquin Valley.

The Times went on a tour with the Kings County Sheriff’s Office, which purchased an airboat to patrol the revived lake this summer.

“When that lake appeared, it added a whole new dimension to what we had to achieve,” the Sheriff’s Sergeant said. Nate Ferrier stands on the southeast shore of the lake near Corcoran. Even months after Tulare Lake reappeared, it remains awe-inspiring at its size and presence. “I’ve driven up and down all these roads, dirt roads and embankments, and seeing so much water covering all this farmland, it’s… it’s like a biblical moment.”

Ferrier said that although lawmakers in the sheriff’s office have boats used to cross the nearby Kings River, they need something flat-bottomed because of debris floating in the lake. He said a regular boat with propellers would likely get stuck, so they bought a boat for around $95,000 and taught five helpers how to operate it.

The lake has flooded private land, so technically crossing or boating through the water is a form of trespassing. The shoreline is dotted with “Private Property” signs with a large red hand warning that no hunting, fishing or trespassing is allowed. But in some ways, what appears below the surface is more disturbing. Floodwaters engulfed manure piles, electrical wires and sharp-edged farm machinery, as well as sheds where manure and other chemicals were stored.

So far, lawmakers haven’t had to deal with people trying to get boats out of the water, Ferrier said. However, this did not prevent people from approaching. In August, lawmakers encountered an abandoned, partially submerged silver Nissan sedan that had not been there before. In other cases, they’ve found people fishing and warned them that it’s not clear whether the fish is safe to eat.

“There were rumors that the water was pretty dirty so it’s dangerous to be in. And most people don’t want to be in dirty water,” he said. not worth taking.”

“They still need to learn to live with the lake,” he said.

It’s already shrinking. Tulare Lake, which was once about 120,000 acres, about the size of Lake Tahoe, had dwindled to 61,000 acres by early August, Ferrier said. The lake’s highest depth averaged 5 to 7 feet.

As snow melted in the basin in the spring, the rising waters of Tulare Lake threatened to flood the town of Corcoran and its extensive prison complex, as well as the farming communities in Stratford, Allensworth and Alpo. State water services stepped up local efforts to prevent disaster and diverted more than 20 billion gallons of water upstream from rivers flowing into the Tulare Basin. In late June, the state declared success, saying Lake Tulare was receding as snowmelt slowed in the Sierra.

As the water recedes, the remnants of the agricultural life it had suspended are slowly reappearing. At Foster Farms, which is home to more than a million chickens, mold has formed dark streaks in exterior homes where some chickens have suffocated in their coops. Some barracks, stripped down to wooden beams by the water’s edge, were barely standing.

The farm also housed workers who lost their rental homes and property in the flood. Here and there the roof of the car was visible. Gradually, swallowed roads reappeared, the asphalt emptied and cracked. Protruding power poles in neat rows hinted at the paths they had once framed.

There was a strong smell of manure near the chicken coops. Signs declaring farmland a “biosafe area” remained upright.

As he glided across the surface of the lake in a boat, these formerly clumsy markings merged with new signs of life. The herons made their nests between the upper branches of a drowning walnut tree. Mallards rowed past, diving into the water for food. Yellow butterflies were flying over the water.

Biologist Jason Koslovich, of the California Waterfowl Association, said the lake is an ideal location for egrets that take over the tops of fruit trees.

“It’s definitely a big win for waterfowl,” he said, “with all kinds of different birds and wildlife.”

What exactly is in the water in terms of pesticides, chemicals and bacteria remains a mystery, said Rose Mary Rahn, director of the Kings County Health Department. The department is testing surface water, and the most recent results in July showed high levels of coliforms and E. coli typical of floodwaters.

“It’s not surprising,” Rahn said, but “we really don’t know everything that happens at these facilities.”

Although the lake is not considered toxic, the ministry said it does not recommend people go into the water or wash their hands in it due to known and unknown contaminants. “Like putting your hand in the toilet,” he said.

Patrick Pulupa, executive director of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, said the agency views the lake as “a stormwater reservoir on someone’s property.”

“Lake Tulare is really just one of these interesting dynamics that doesn’t fit into the framework of how we regulate water in California or, frankly, the United States,” Pulupa said. Said. He agreed that this is unusual because the lake does occur occasionally.

Pulupa said the agency is not concerned with pollution in the lake. “The flood is so great that the water dilutes it,” he said of the nitrate concentration.

But some other water experts have expressed concern about how water in the lake will affect groundwater supplies in surrounding communities. Michael Claiborne, attorney general for the Justice and Accountability Leadership Advisor, said the group’s main concern was whether nitrates from flooded dairy farms would end up in underground aquifers used for drinking water. He said that nearby communities like Allensworth regularly test their waters to make sure it’s safe.

The last time the lake made a significant comeback was in 1983, when it took two years before disappearing again. And local officials say it could still take years for this newest version of the lake to completely disappear. For the Kings County Sheriff’s Office, that means patrolling the lake is now part of the job. The airboat is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. Source