Ghost lake returns: Tulare Lake resurfaces after 130 years, submerging 94,000 acres of farmland – Times of India

Tulare Lake resurfaces after 130 years, submerging 94,000 acres of farmland (Picture credit: X)

After a disappearance lasting over 130 years, California’s Tulare Lake has returned, reclaiming its place in the San Joaquin Valley and swallowing approximately 94,000 acres of private farmland.
Once the largest body of freshwater west of the Mississippi River, the lake had vanished in the late 19th century due to extensive human intervention, but it has now made a dramatic comeback.
Tulare Lake, often referred to as a “ghost lake,” began to dry up in the 1850s.
The draining process was not a natural phenomenon but rather the result of deliberate human actions. Settlers built hundreds of irrigation canals and basins to redirect water, turning the land into arable farmland. This process, known as “reclamation,” not only destroyed the lake but also displaced the indigenous Tachi Yokut tribe, for whom the lake—dubbed “Pa’ashi”—was central to their way of life.
According to Vivian Underhill, a researcher who has studied the lake extensively, the settlers were incentivised to drain the land because ownership was granted to those who could convert it for farming purposes, reported the New York Post.
However, nature asserted itself in the spring of 2023.
A series of massive winter storms in California, combined with significant snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada, overwhelmed man-made drainage systems and filled the lakebed once again.
This resurgence submerged thousands of acres of fertile farmland that once produced pistachios, almonds, and cotton.
As reported by Earth.com, Tulare Lake’s rebirth is both awe-inspiring and concerning, as it has also flooded structures containing harmful materials like fertilisers, pesticides, and electrical equipment, raising environmental and safety concerns.
While the lake’s return has disrupted agriculture in the region, it has brought a surprising revival of the local ecosystem.
Ducks, egrets, and other waterfowl have begun flocking to its shores, while frogs and tule grass are reclaiming their habitats along the lake’s edges. “It’s really difficult to imagine that this was once the largest body of fresh water in the region,” Underhill told Northeastern Global News.
Despite its rejuvenation, the future of Tulare Lake remains uncertain.
This is not the first time it has resurfaced since its disappearance in the 19th century.
According to The Week, experts note that its return may be cyclical, and the lake could vanish again, depending on future climatic and human interventions.