We’re all now familiar with images of water-starved Lake Cachuma taken from the shoreline, but a video released this week by the City of Santa Barbara gives the shrinkage a whole new dimension. The footage above, taken by drone August 27, reveals Lake Cachuma and the Gibraltar Reservoir at extreme drought levels — the lake is around 17 percent capacity, and the reservoir’s average depth is 18 inches. The imagery may not be exceptionally dramatic, but area water officials warn levels continue to drop at record-setting rates.
