The Sacramento Regional Groundwater Bank is large enough to hold twice as much water as Folsom Lake. Water managers are hoping to maximize that storage to provide long term stability for the region's water supply.
Northern California's reservoirs serve two main functions: storing water for use throughout the summer and fall and preventing flooding in the winter and spring.
Increasing temperatures, a decreasing snowpack and more variable rainy seasons will make surface water supply less certain while population increases lead to more water demand.