Rain Boosts Cachuma Totals

Alternating rain and sunshine filled the South Coast this past week, and water levels rose in response at all Santa Barbara County reservoirs. Six to seven inches fell in the foothills and mountains, and two to three inches along the coast. The five days of rainy weather put Lake Cachuma, the city’s main water source, in positive territory, gaining 1,873 acre feet — or 610 million gallons — for March. Upstream, Gibraltar gained 2,193 acre feet. Jameson gained a good two feet, rising from 79 to 85 percent of capacity, and Twitchell Reservoir gained 148 acre feet in March, releasing nearly 17,000 acre feet since September to replenish groundwater supplies.